The  COMPLETE 
SCIENCE 


AND 


PINNING 


PRED.  G.  SHAW,  P.O.S 


Jgtn  Kit*  t 

LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY    OF 
CALIFORNIA 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2007  with  funding  from 

Microsoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/completescienceoOOshawrich 


THE   COMPLETE 

SCIENCE    OF    FLY    FISHING 

AND    SPINNING 


THE    COMPLETE 

SCIENCE  OF  FLY  FISHING 
AND  SPINNING 


BY  FRED.  G.  SHAW,  F.G.S. 

ASSOC<  M.lNST.C.E.,  M.M.S. 

AtfATBtfR   CftAMMON    TROtTT    PtV   CASTING    AT    THE    INTERNATIONAL 
TOURNAMENT.  1904/8 


WITH    152    ILLUSTRATIONS 


AUTHOR    OF 
The  Sciknce  or  Dry  Fly  Fiihing  " 

(Bradbury,  Agnew  &  Co.,  Ltd.,  1906) 
The  Science  of  Dry  Fly  Fishing  and  Salmon  Fly  Casting" 

(John  Murray,  1907) 
'Our  Future  Existence,  or  the  Death-Surviving  Consciousness  of  Man' 

(Stanley  Paul,  191 2) 


NEW    YORK 
THE    MACMILLAN    COMPANY 

1915 


ALL  RIGHTS  RESERVED 


OTHER  PTORKS  BY  THE  SAME  AUTHOR. 


"The  Empire's  Salvation." 

"Comets     and    their    Tails,    and    the 

Gegenschein   Light." 
"  The   Pseudomorphic  Theory  of  the 

Witwatersrand  Conglomerates," 
"  The  Chinese  Question." 
"  The  Ancient  Miners  of  Rhodesia." 
"  A  National  Policy." 
"  Fiscal  Facts  and  Fictions,"  etc. 
"  The  Science  of  Self  Defence." 
"  The  Science  of  Physical  Instruction." 


^^1 


PREFACE 

In  writing  this  book  the  author  has  endeavoured  to  con- 
fine his  text  entirely  to  subjects  that  he  thinks  will  interest 
every  fisherman  and  be  of  assistance  to  those  who,  owing 
to  lack  of  opportunity,  are  neither  experienced  nor  skilful. 
Even  when  he  has  ventured  to  express  his  opinion  on 
controversial  subjects  he  hopes  that  his  views  will  cause 
offence  to  none. 

The  average  fisherman  may  not  want  to  know  how  to 
build  a  rod — but  he  certainly  wishes  to  know  how  to  select 
one  and  how  to  use  it.  He  may  not  want  to  make  his  own 
flies — but  he  certainly  desires  to  know  what  flies  to  get  and 
when  and  how  to  use  them.  He  does  not  want  to  make 
his  fishing  line — what  he  wants  is  to  know  how  to  extend  it 
and  how  to  preserve  its  usefulness. 

If  it  be  desirable  and  necessary  to  obtain  help  in  order  to 
become  a  proficient  fly  fisherman,  the  author  admits  the 
great  advantages  of  personal  tuition  when  it  is  obtainable. 
But,  on  the  other  hand,  he  is  confident  that,  by  explaining 
in  simple  language  the  science  of  casting  and  fishing  with 
the  fly  or  minnow,  in  similar  terms  to  those  which  he  uses 
when  teaching  the  student  personally,  he  can  help  the 
reader  to  acquire,  by  careful  attention,  a  success  which 
will  well  repay  him  for  his  trouble. 

When  one  recalls  the  pleasure  and  assistance  which  have 
been  derived  from  the  literature  devoted  to  fly  fishing,  the 
pleasant  reminiscences  which  have  been  revived,  and  the 
extensive  fields  of  sport  which  have  thus  been  thrown 
open,     it     would    indeed    be     ungrateful     to     deny     the 

Ui 


ivi852S32 


iv.  PREFACE 

efficacy  of  written  instructions  on  this  delightful  science, 
but  the  author  cannot  too  strongly  deprecate  the 
assumption  that  this  book  is  written  with  the  view  of 
attempting  to  teach  experienced  fishermen.  It  is  written 
especially  for  those  who  are  thinking  of  taking  up  the  sport, 
and  if  the  author  should  be  successful  in  imparting  to  these 
the  skill  which  has  afforded  him  so  many  happy  hours, 
and  if,  in  addition,  some  of  his  ideas  and  methods  may 
happen  to  interest  his  brother  fishermen,  he  will,  in  some 
measure,  repay  the  debt  which  he  owes  to  a  kindly  Provi- 
dence for  giving  him  so  many  delightful  opportunities  of 
fishing. 

No  kill  is  quite  equal  to  that  of  the  first  salmon  ;  no 
thrill  can  exceed  that  which  runs  from  the  fisherman's 
hands  to  his  brain  as  he  braces  his  muscles  to  resist  the  first 
rush  of  a  fresh-run  salmon,  feels  the  long  downward  strain 
on  his  rod,  and  hears  the  screech  of  the  reel  as  his  first  fish 
plunges  down-stream  in  its  initial  rush  for  safety  ;  no 
tension  is  more  delightful  than  the  first  twenty  minutes 
spent  with  a  clean-run  salmon  ;  and  no  satisfaction,  so  far 
as  the  sport  is  concerned,  can  possibly  exceed  that  felt  by 
him  as  the  gleaming  silver  sides  of  his  first  fish  emerge 
from  the  water  securely  held  on  his  gillie's  gaff.  The  vigour 
of  the  sport,  the  grandeur  of  the  scenery,  and  the  revivifying 
atmosphere  of  his  surroundings,  offer  a  tonic  to  the  system 
far  more  pleasant  and  of  infinitely  greater  value  than  any 
the  pharmacopoeia  is  capable  of  producing.  The  contest 
between  the  salmon  and  the  fisherman  is  more  severe,  longer, 
and  the  result  more  uncertain  than  that  between  the  trout 
and  man,  and — during  the  time  the  struggle  lasts —  no  fisher- 
man would  deny  that  salmon  is  infinitely  superior  to  trout 
fishing ;  but  during  all  the  other  hours  of  these  two  sports 
dry  fly  fishing  for  trout  may  with  justice  claim  precedence 
as  the  most  attractive  form  of  angling. 


PREFACE  V. 

While  the  fisherman's  sporting  instincts  will  be  aroused 
by  the  difficulties  and  thrilled  by  the  triumphs  of  salmon 
fishing,  the  artistic  and  poetic  side  of  his  temperament 
will  be  as  strongly  appealed  to  and  affected  by  the  charms  of 
trout  fishing. 

The  salmon  river  will  inspire  the  mind  with  the  strength 
and  force  of  its  beauty,  and  invigorate  the  body  with  the 
health-giving  scent  of  its  pine  forests  and  heather  ;  the 
trout  stream,  on  the  other  hand,  will  lull  the  senses  into 
delicious  content,  as  the  rippling  notes  of  its  liquid  harmony 
are  heard,  and  the  delicate  perfume  of  its  surrounding  flowers 
is  inhaled,  while  the  eyes  will  be  soothed  by  the  varied 
shades  of  the  leaf y  surroundings  of  these  haunts  of  the  trout, 
and  by  the  exquisite  pictures  reflected  from  the  surface  of 
their  limpid  depths. 

Hardly  any  water-side  exists  which  fails  to  interest  and 
attract  the  fisherman,  and  the  pleasure  of  wandering  by  the 
side  of  any  brook  or  mountain  stream  and  watching 
the  changing  beauties  and  the  wonder  of  its  natural  life  is 
always  enhanced  by  the  infinite  probabilities  of  sport  which 
it  suggests  to  the  ardent  angler,  and  the  recollections  which 
it  arouses  of  sunlit  days  and  happy  associations  of  the  past. 

The  author's  thanks  are  due  to  many  who  have  kindly 
assisted  him  in  writing  this  book,  and  their  names  will  be 
noticed  from  time  to  time  in  its  pages.  He  cannot,  however, 
omit  a  special  reference  to  the  kind  assistance  which  has 
been  given  to  him  by  his  secretary  and  friend.  Miss  Helen 
Stanton. 

The  author  has  but  recently  discovered  that  much  of 
his  own  experience  and  advice  on  fishing  for  trout  is 
supported  by  the  admirable  writing  of  the  late  Mr.  Francis 
Francis  in  "  A  Work  on  AngUng,"  in  which  book  there 
does  not  seem  to  be  any  aspect  of  fly  fishing  to  which  this 
gentleman  has  not  lent  the  charm  of  his  pen  and  the  wisdom 


vi.                                  PREFACE  I 

of  his  experience,  and   although  the  author  cannot  add  to  | 

his   text,    yet  he  has  ventured  to  give  a  few  footnotes  of  | 

quotations  from  the  book  in  question.  | 

The  spirit  echoing  through  some  Hues  written  by    Mr.  : 

W.  Gilchrist  Wilson  will  most  certainly  touch  a  sympathetic  J 

chord  in  the  minds  of  most  fishermen.  'i 


To  AN  Unknown  Angler. 

**  Following  the  course  of  a  mountain  stream  we 
came  to  a  rude  grave,  a  few  slates  put  loosely  together. 
Its  history  is  not  known,  but  some  say  it  is  that 
of  a  fisherman — of  the  early  part  of  the  last 
century."     (1700). 

Sleep,  unknown  comrade,  sleep 

Securely  in  thy  cool 
Slate  bed,  where  mountain  steep 

Purples  the  long,  slow  pool. 

Barely  a  cast  away 

Aura  rolls  softly  by. 
Only  a  trout  at  play 

Breaks  Nature's  sympathy. 

Yet  still  we  hear  thy  reel 

Go  ringing  down  the  stream — 
An  unknown  presence  feel, 

And  know  we  do  not  dream. 

For  we  are  anglers  all 

And  ply  our  gentle  trade 
By  ripple,  rush  and  fall — 

Pagan  and  not  afraid. 

Then  let  us  not  repine. 

But  wait  our  turn,  and  so  1 

Reel  in  our  little  line, 

Shoulder  our  creel  and  go. 

F.  G.  S. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

PREFACE  -  -  -  .  . 

I.  INTRODUCTION — FLY    FISHING    FOR    TROUT  -  I 

II.  A  day's  coaching  on  a  trout  stream  -  10 

III.  A  day's  coaching  on  a  trout  stream  (con- 

tinued)       -----  47 

IV.  WATER    INSECTS   AND   THE    RISE  -  -  62 

V.  THE  SENSES  OF  TROUT  AND  HOW  THEY  AFFECT 

THE    FISHERMAN        -  -  -  -  87 

VI.  PISICULTURE   AND   THE   NATURAL   HISTORY  OF 

TROUT  -----  97 

VII.  WET    FLY    FISHING,    SPINNING,    KNOTS,  WEEDS, 

GENERAL    INFORMATION        -  -  -  109 

VIII.  AXIOMS,     NOTES    AND     THEORIES.        GRAYLING 

FISHING         -----  133 

IX.  THE  SCIENCE  OF  CASTING  A  TROUT  FLY-  -  I47 

X.  DIFFERENT  METHODS  AND  STYLES  OF  CASTING  I78 

XI.  MENTAL     CONTROL    OF     THE     MUSCLES     WHEN 

LEARNING     TO     CAST  -  -  -  2OI 

XII.  THE  ACTION  AND  QUALITIES  OF  A  PERFECT  TROUT 

ROD  -----  214 

XIII.  THE    LIFE    OF    THE    SALMON       -  -  -  226 

THE     SCALES     OF     THE     SALMONIDiE    AND     THE 

STORY    THEY    TELL  -  -  -  249 


XIV. 


VIU. 


CONTENTS. 


XV.            MATTERS      CONNECTED      WITH      FISHING  FOR 

SALMON          -                 -                 _                 -  - 

XVI.  SALMON  FLIES,   KNOTS,   GUTS,   AXIOMS,   ETC.      - 

XVII.  METHODS  OF  CASTING  A  SALMON  FLY     - 

XVIII.            THE  SALMON    FLY   VCrSUS  THE  SPINNING  LURE, 
AND    SOME    RECORD    TAKES 

XIX.  THE     SPINNING     REEL     AND     THE     SCIENCE     OF 

SPINNING       WITH       A        SALMON        OR  ANY 

DOUBLE-HANDED    ROD           -                 -  - 

XX.  NEW  ZEALAND  AS  A  FISHING  GROUND   - 

XXI.            FISHING   IN    CANADA     -                -                -  > 

APPENDIX           -                 -                 -                 -  - 

INDEX                   -                 .                 .                 -  . 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 

PLATES 

Frontispiece 

ENOUGH  TO  MAKE  A  PARSON  SWEAR.      BROKEN  ! 

(PROM  THE  PAINTIMO  BY  THE  LATE  T.  G.  TAROETT.) 

TO  PACE  PAGE 

I.  THE  DELIGHT  OF  LIVING  .  -  .  -  3 

II.  NETTING  A  FISH    -  -  ...  -  27 

III.  don't  lower  the  point  of  rod,  but  keep  a 

VERY  DELICATE  PULL  ON  THE  FISH     -  -  38 

IV.  DROP  POINT  OF  ROD 38 

V.  MY  DOG  AND  MY  FISH.      A  MORNING'S  CATCH  ON 

THE  TEST 48 

VI.                THE  EPHEMERIDiE                 64 

VII.                THE  TRICOPTERA,  OR  CADDIS  FLY      -           -           -  66 

VIII.                THE  PERLIDiE.  SIALID-fi  AND  DIPTERA         -           -  68 

IX.                ON  THE  OTTER 83 

X.                EVENING   FISHING                 83 

XI.  THE   ITCHEN   TROUT-BREEDING  ESTABLISHMENT, 

HANTS                      100 

XII.                A  NATURAL  DAM  OF  WEEDS         -           -           -           -  124 
XIII.                THE  SUMMER  GLORY  OF  A  TROUT  STREAM  (TEST 

BELOW  ROMSEY) I42 

XIV.                 AN  IRISH  TROUT  LAKE I42 

XV.                 TROUT  AND  GRAYLING  FROM  THE  ITCHEN             -  I46 

XVI.                NORMAL  FISHING  POSITION           -           -           -           _  152 

XVII.                 POSITION  AT  END  OF  BACKWARD  SWITCH              -  I52 
XVIII.                 THE  BACKWARD  SWITCH  OF  THE  TROUT  ROD  AS 

THE   LINE   LEAVES  THE   WATER   -           -           -  I52 
XIX.                 THE  CORRECT  DOWNWARD  ACTION  OF  THE  TROUT 

ROD  AND  THE  EXTENSION  OF  THE  LINE           -  168 
XX.                 A  FAULTY  DOWNWARD   ACTION   OF  THE  SALMON 

ROD 168 

XXI.                 THE  WYE  CAST  WITH  THE  TROUT  ROD           -           -  184 

ix. 


X. 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 


XXII.       THE  BACK  MOVEMENT  OF  THE  GALWAY  CAST 

WITH  THE  TROUT  ROD,  MADE  OVER  THE 

HEAD  OF  THE  PHOTOGRAPHER   -     -     - 

XXIII.       THE  SAME  MOVEMENT  MADE  OVER  THE  TOP  OF 

AN  IMAGINARY  SMALL  TREE 
XXIV.       THE  LOOP  CAST  FROM  LEFT  TO  RIGHT  WITH  THE 

TROUT  ROD    

XXV.       THE  END  OF  THE  LOOP  CAST  WITH  THE  TROUT  ROD 
XXVI.       THE  END  OF  THE  SPEY  THROW  WITH  THE  TROUT 

ROD 

XXVII.  STAGES  IN  THE  LIFE  OF  A  YOUNG  SALMON 

XXVIII .  SMOLTS  WITH  THEIR  SCALES  PARTIALLY  STRIPPED 

OFF  AND  SHOWING  THE  PARR  MARKING 

XXVIIIa.              SCALE  OF  A  YOUNG  SALMON  SHOWING  SEASONAL 
MARKINGS 

XXVIIIb.  SCALE  OF  A  HEN  FISH  SHOWING  DECREPITATIONS 

XXIX.  LOCH  LEVEN  TROUT — THE  COCK  AND  HEN  FISH  - 

XXX.  THE    SCALE    OF     A     34-LB.     HEN     SPRING     FISH 

(NORWAY) 

XXXI .                SCALE  OF  A  34-LB.  HEN  SPRING  FISH  (WYE) 
XXXII.  THE  WYE  CAST 

XXXIII.  THE   WYE   CAST   CONVERTED   INTO  THE  GALWAY 

CAST 

XXXIV.  VARIOUS  KNOTS,  AND  THE  SPLICING  OF  A  ROD    - 

XXXV.  VARIOUS   KNOTS 

XXXVI.  RAISING   THE    SALMON    ROD  IN    THE  BACKWARD 

ACTION 

XXXVII.  THE    CORRECT    POSITION    AT  THE  END    OF   THE 

BACKWARD  SWITCH  _  .  _  - 

XXXVI 11.  FISHING  OUT  A  CAST  ON  THE  USK       - 

XXXIX.  THE  END  OF  THE  RAISE  AND  THE  BEGINNING  OF 

THE   BACKWARD   SWITCH      -  -  -  - 

XL.  THE  END  OF  THE  BACK  SWITCH  -  .  - 


TO  FACE  PACK 

186 
186 

194 

232 

250 
250 

272 
274 
292 

292 
305 
307 

317 

317' 

318 
318 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 


XI. 


XLI. 


XLII. 

XLIIL 

XLIV. 
XLV. 

XLVI. 

XLVII. 

XLVIII. 

XLIX. 


L. 
LI. 

LIL 

LIII. 

LIV. 

LV. 

LVI. 

LVII. 

LVIII. 

LIX. 

LX. 

LXI. 


THE     LINE      EXTENDING     ITSELF     BEHIND    THE 

FISHERMAN  AFTER  THE  BACKWARD    SWITCH 

OF  THE  SALMON  ROD  -  .  -  . 

THE  END  OF  THE  DOWNWARD  SWITCH  WITH  THE 

SALMON  ROD  

THE  GALWAY  CAST.      THE  BACKWARD  ACTION    - 
THE  GALWAY  CAST.      THE  FORWARD  ACTION 
THE  LOOP  CAST.      ROD  COMING  FORWARD 
THE  LOOP  FROM  LEFT  TO  RIGHT — SALMON  ROD 
THE  LOOP  FROM  RIGHT  TO  LEFT 
THE  BACKWARD  SWING  OF  THE  SPEY  THROW      - 
THE    LINE    EXTENDING    ITSELF    ACROSS  STREAM 
AFTER    THE    DOWNWARD    SWITCH    OF    THE 
SALMON  ROD  IN  THE  SPEY  THROW 
ON  THE  WYE — GAFFING  A  20-POUNDER      - 
ON  THE  TAY — ^A  RECORD  DAY's  SPRING  FISHING 
WITH  THE  SALMON  FLY        -  -  -  - 

THE  ATTITUDES  OF  THE  BODY  WHEN  CASTING  A 
SPINNING  LURE  FROM  RIGHT  TO  LEFT 

THE  BULLER  RIVER 

THE   WANGANUI 

LANDING     A     2-LB.    BROWN    TROUT,    SOUTHERN 

ISLAND  

THE  OUANANICHE,  THE  BROOK  TROUT,  AND  THE 
QUINNAT  OR  KING  SALMON  .  -  - 

TROUT  FISHING  IN  THE  ROCKIES  -  -  - 

MY  TEEPEE  IN  THE  ROCKIES     -  -  -  - 

MY  GUIDE  ENGROSSED  IN  A  NEW  SPORT     - 

SPINNING  REEL 

SPECTACLES.  FLY-BOX  AND  FLY  RETRIEVER      - 


TO  FACE   PAGE 

325 

327 
329 
330 
332 


334 
346 

352 

375 
386 
386 

386 

394 
396 
403 
403 
410 
414 


xii.  LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 


DIAGRAMS 

1.  HORIZONTAL  PLANE  OF  A  TROUT'S  VISION  -  -  - 

2.  RADIUS  OF  THE  UPWARD  VISION  OF  A  TROUT 

3.  VERTICAL  SECTION  OF  THE  UPWARD  VISION  OF  A  TROUT    - 

4.  VARIOUS  KNOTS  FOR  FISHERMEN  -  .  .  - 

5.  VARIOUS  KNOTS  FOR  FISHERMEN  -  -  -  - 

6.  SHOWING  A   PERFECTLY    SAFE     KNOT    FOR    THE    LARGER 

SIZED  HOOKS  

7.  THE    BEST     METHOD    OF    JOINING     TWO     ENDS     OF     GUT 

TOGETHER _  -  . 

8.  SHOWING     THE    ANGLES     THROUGH     WHICH     THE      HAND 

TRAVELS  IN  THE  BACKWARD  AND  FORWARD  CASTS 

9.  SHOWING   THE    CURVATURE     OF    THE     ROD     DURING    THE  j 

RISE  OF  THE  BACKWARD  SWITCH        -  -  -  -  162      ■ 

10.  MOTIONS   OF  THE   HAND    AND    ARM    DURING    THE    BACK- 

WARD CAST 163      j 

11.  MOTIONS  OF  THE  HAND  AND  ARM  DURING  THE   FORWARD 

CAST 163      j 

12.  SHOWING  THE  CURVATURE  OF  THE  ROD  IN  THE  FORWARD  | 

CAST 164   ! 

13.  SHOWING  THE  MOVEMENT   OF  THE  HAND  IN   MAKING  THE  i 

OVERHEAD  CAST -  -  I76      i 

14  SHOWING    THE    SMALL    CURVATURE    WHICH    SHOULD    BE  ] 

MADE  BY  AN  ADVANCING  L  NE  -  -  -  -  181      | 

15.  SHOWING  THE    LARGE    CURVATURE   WHICH    IS    SOMETIMES  ; 

MADE  BY  AN  ADVANCING  LINE  -  -  -  -  182      ] 

16.  SHOWING  THE  MOVEMENTS  OF    THE    ARMS    AND    ROD    IN  ^ 

THE  BACKWARD  CAST  (SALMON  ROD)  -  -  -  31 8      ' 

17.  ILLUSTRATING  THE   MOTION    MADE   BY   THE   UPPER   HAND  j 

WHEN  CASTING  WITH  A  SALMON  ROD  -  -  -  319       I 

18.  SECTION  OF  THE  SPEY  CAST  332       | 

19.  SECTION  OF  THE  SPEY  CAST  332       j 

20.  SECTION  OF  THE  SPEY  CAST  333       ! 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS  xiii 

DIAGRAMS— Co«/-/. 


PAGE 


21.  SECTION  OF  THE  SPEY  CAST                  -           -           -           .  333 

22.  VARIATION  OF  THE  WYE  CAST 337 

23.  SHOWING    THE    PASSAGE     OF     A     LURE     WHEN     THROWN 

FROM  AN  ORDINARY  NOTTINGHAM  SPINNING  REEL       -  365 

24.  SHOWING  THE  DIRECTION   TAKEN    BY   A   LURE   WHEN    NOT 

SUBJECTED  TO  CENTRIPETAL  INFLUENCE                 -           -  37I 

25.  SHOWING    THE     DIRECTION     TAKEN     BY     A     LURE     WHEN 

SUBJECTED  TO  CENTRIPETAL  INFLUENCE                -           -  372 

26.  SPINNING   REEL                  408 

27.  SPINNING    REEL                  -           -           -           -           -           -           -  4O9 

28.  FLY   NET   AND   PRIEST 4II 

29.  THE   FLY   fisherman's   KNIFE 4I9 


THE  COMPLETE   SCIENCE  OF 

FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 


CHAPTER  I 

FLY  FISHING  FOR  TROUT 

A  consideration  of  fly  fishing — The  necessity  of  learning  how  to  cast — 
Wet  and  dry  methods  of  fly  fishing  compared. 

It  cannot  be  claimed  that  there  are  any  odds,  as  between  a 
man  and  his  quarry,  which  are  more  evenly  balanced,  or  of 
more  sporting  a  character,  than  the  chances  which  lie 
between  the  safety  of  the  trout  on  the  one  side,  and  the 
success  of  the  dry  fly  fisherman  on  the  other.  No  fish  is 
more  alert  or  more  wary  than  the  trout,  and  certainly  there 
is  no  pursuit  more  engrossing,  nor  any  sport  more  fascinating, 
than  this  method  of  trout  fishing,  and  I  think  it  may  be 
maintained  with  justice  that  dry  fly  fishing  takes  a  place 
second  to  no  other  pastime  in  the  world. 

The  most  acceptable  of  our  successes  are  those  which  can 
be  directly  traced,  or  even  attributed,  to  our  own  mental  or 
physical  efforts,  and  for  that  reason  the  ability  to  cast  a 
trout  fly  accurately  and  delicately  is  a  pleasure  which  in 
itself  is  a  sufficient  reward  at  the  end  of  a  day's  fishing, 
though  that  day  may  be  almost  barren  as  regards  the  take 
of  fish. 

The  satisfaction  which  accompanies  the  perfectly  under- 
stood and  successful  use  of  a  fly  rod  is  undoubtedly  increased 
by  the  pleasure  which  is  felt  by  the  fisherman  who,  after 
all  too  short  a  day  spent  by  some  lovely  trout  stream,  can 

2 


2  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

on  his  return  home  produce  a  dish  of  speckled  beauties  as 
a  tribute  to  his  knowledge  and  the  successful  use  of  his 
treasured  rod  and  delicate  tackle. 

There  are  but  few  accomplishments  more  delightful  to 
witness  than  the  handling  of  his  rod,  line  and  fly,  by  the 
skilled  dry  fly  fisherman.  It  is  not  alone  the  grace  and 
ease  which  accompany  the  var5dng  and  always  beautiful 
curves  assumed  by  his  rod  and  line  which  compel  the 
admiration  of  the  onlooker,  but  it  is  equally  due  to  the 
instinctive  recognition  of  the  science  or  art  which  lies 
behind  the  exquisite  result  of  each  cast.  But  if  the  casting 
of  a  skilled  fisherman  be  so  admirable,  can  there,  on  the 
other  hand,  be  any  failures  more  humiliating  than  those 
which  accompany  the  efforts  of  the  unskilled  fly  fisherman. 

This  book,  however,  is  not  written  to  extol  **  the  gentle 
art,"  but  with  the  serious  object  of  assisting  those  who  may 
be  anxious  to  learn  the  science  of  fly  fishing;  and  for  his 
comfort  I  can  assure  the  beginner  that  it  is  by  no  means  a 
difficult  or  a  lengthy  process  for  him  to  acquire  an  absolute 
and  exact  method  of  casting  a  fly,  so  that  he  may  be  able 
with  certainty  to  present  his  lure  accurately  and  delicately 
to  the  trout  in  ninety-nine  out  of  every  hundred  chances 
which  occur  in  an  average  day's  fishing. 

A  well-known  writer  on  piscatorial  matters  says  :  "  For 
my  part,  indeed,  I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  the  best  way 
to  become  an  accomplished  dry  fly  fisherman  is,  in  these 
particular  methods,  to  steer  clear  of  teachers  and  preachers, 
either  in  the  book  or  in  the  flesh,  get  down  to  the  water, 
look  out  for  rising  trout,  and  hammer  away  till  one  is  at 
length  hooked  and  landed,  after  very  many  have  been 
scared." 

Although  this  advice  was  seriously  meant,  and  although 
other  writers  and  many  fishermen  have  argued  on  similar 
lines,  they  have  all  admitted  the  length  of  time  required 


FLY  FISHING  FOR  TROUT  3 

before  a  novice  is  able  to  cast  a  fly  in  anything  like  a  satis- 
factory manner.  Such  mentors  might  just  as  well  advise 
an  absolute  novice  at  cricket  to  don  some  pads,  borrow  a 
bat,  face  the  bowling  and  fielding  of  an  Australian  eleven, 
and  slog  away  until  he  has  made  a  century,  or  acquired  the 
skill  of  a  Grace  or  a  Palairet. 

How  many  fishermen  can  say  that  they  owe  nothing  to 
the  advice  or  assistance  of  others  in  their  attempts  at  handling 
the  rod  ?  To  my  infinite  delight  I  caught  a  trout  when 
only  four  years  of  age,  but  my  father  was  there  all  the 
time  ;  and  although  I  have  since  then  fished  for  over  fifty 
years  and  in  most  parts  of  the  world,  I  never  realized  how 
absolute  is  the  science  which  controls  a  perfect  method  of 
fly  and  bait  casting  until  within  the  last  few  years,  and 
until  I  had  spent  those  years  in  perfecting  the  casting  of 
others. 

The  Necessity  of  Learning  how  to  Cast 

With  every  respect,  then,  for  the  fishing  abilities  of  the 
writer  above  quoted,  I  am  fully  persuaded  that  the  one  thing 
a  novice  can  and  should  do  before  he  goes  down  to  "  scare 
the  trout  "  is  to  learn  the  art  of  casting  a  fly. 

Not  only  should  the  novice  endeavour  to  obtain  instruc- 
tion, but  it  might  well  repay  the  experienced  fisherman  to 
find  out  whether  he  can  improve  his  style  and  acquire 
absolute  accuracy  in  his  casting,  and  even  if  the  expert  be 
well  satisfied  in  these  respects,  to  ascertain  whether  there 
may  not  be  other  styles  of  casting  which  might  help  him  to 
get  his  fly  to  any  desired  spot  under  circumstances  and 
against  difficulties  which  have  hitherto  appeared  to  him  to 
be  insurmountable.  Since  my  first  work  on  Fly  Fishing 
was  published,  some  eight  years  ago,  I  have  established  a 
school  for  trout  and  salmon  fly  casting,  and  for  spinning, 
and  I  have  had  the  pleasure  of  coaching    in  this  school 


4  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

over  1,800  clients.  This  work,  supplemented  by  a  most 
exhaustive  study  of  the  whole  science  of  casting,  has  shown 
me  that  it  is  possible  to  teach  anyone  an  accurate  and 
perfect  style  of  casting  a  fly,  with  or  against  the  wind,  in 
both  the  wet  and  dry  fly  methods,  with  both  hands,  in  three 
or  four  lessons,  each  of  one  hour's  duration.  Further,  this 
experience  has  shown  me  that  if  the  country  be  fairly  clear 
between  the  rod  and  the  position  of  the  trout,  that  a  fisher- 
man should  under  almost  any  circumstances  be  able  to  cast 
his  fly  accurately  to  a  fish,  so  long  as  it  be  within  a  reasonable 
distance. 

The  clients  whom  I  have  coached  have  varied  in  age, 
from  the  youth  of  seven  to  the  veteran  of  seventy-five,  and 
while  at  least  half  of  this  number  have  come  to  me  as 
complete  novices  in  the  art  of  fly  casting,  the  other  half 
have  been  more  or  less  hardened  in  such  faulty  methods  of 
casting  that  the  pleasure  which  they  should  have  experienced 
when  fishing  has  been  minimized  by  their  inability  to 
present  their  fly  to  the  trout  accurately,  delicately,  instantly 
and  effectively,  and  my  success  in  making  them  cast  to 
their  own  and  my  satisfaction  has  more  than  repaid  me 
for  the  difficulties  I  have  had  to  encounter  when  coaching 
them. 

The  beginner  should  consider  the  saving  in  time  and 
material  which  he  will  effect  by  first  acquiring  the  ability 
to  cast  a  fly,  also  the  satisfaction  he  will  feel  in  knowing 
that  when  he  arrives  at  the  water-side  he  will  not  appear 
as  a  novice  to  his  brother  angler. 

I  am  convinced  that  the  greatest  success  in  fishing  will 
attend  the  fisherman  who,  both  in  favourable  and  un- 
favourable circumstances,  can  with  certainty  cast  the 
lightest  and  most  accurate  fly,  and  that  to  learn  this  will 
take  him  but  a  short  time  if  he  be  properly  coached  ;  that, 
without  the  assistance  of  a  master  in  the  art  of  casting. 


FLY  FISHING  FOR  TROUT  6 

many,  if  not  all,  the  years  of  the  average  man's  fishing  life 
will  be  stultified  by  mistaken  conception  and  faulty  efforts 
to  acquire  an  art  which  would  otherwise  have  taken  him 
but  a  few  hours  to  perfect. 

When  a  student  is  able  to  cast  his  fly  lightly  and  accurately 
in  any  required  direction,  he  can  then  seek  his  trout  stream, 
and  be  in  a  position  to  fish  with  ever  increasing  delight 
and  confidence.  With  a  little  advice  from  any  experienced 
fisherman  his  progress  should  be  rapid  ;  he  should  have 
nothing  to  unlearn,  and  may,  indeed,  so  far  as  science  in 
actual  fly  casting  is  concerned,  step  down  to  the  water-side 
more  assured  as  to  his  casting  than  the  one  from  whom  he 
has  in  other  respects  very  much  to  learn. 

Wet  and  Dry  Fly  Methods  of  Fishing 

There  are  two  distinct  and  widely  different  methods  of 
fishing  with  a  trout  fly,  and  these  are  known  as  the  dry  and 
the  wet  fly  methods. 

In  the  former,  one  fly  only  is  used.  This  fly  is  cast  up- 
stream just  above  the  rise,  or  above  the  spot  at  which  the 
trout  is  supposed  to  be  lying,  and  is  allowed  to  float  down 
towards  the  fish  on  the  surface  of  the  water. 

In  the  latter,  from  two  to  four  flies  should  be  attached 
to  the  cast.  These  are  cast  either  across  and  up-stream 
or  across  and  down-stream,  and  in  both  cases  are  allowed  to 
sink  below  the  surface  of  the  water.  Wet  fly  fishing  is 
in  itself  thus  divided  into  two  distinct  variations.  In  the 
down-stream  method  of  wet  fly  fishing  the  flies,  at  the  end 
of  a  long  line  and  cast,  are  allowed  to  sink  well  below  the 
surface,  and  to  be  carried  down-stream  towards  every  spot 
where  trout  may  be  lying.  The  stream  is  thus  thoroughly 
searched  by  the  flies,  both  fish  and  lure  being  invisible  to  the 
angler,  and,  in  consequence,  no  dependence  can  be  placed 
on  the  rise  of  the  fish  being  seen,  the  angler  having,  in  most 


6  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

cases,  to  trust  to  his  sense  of  touch  for  a  knowledge  as  to 
when  his  fly  is  taken. 

In  the  up-stream  method  of  wet  fly  fishing,  a  short  line 
is  used,  and  each  cast  is  made  with  the  definite  object  of 
fishing  either  for  a  rising  or  for  a  feeding  fish,  whose  position 
is  therefore  either  known  or  assumed.  The  flies  are  allowed 
to  sink  a  few  inches  below  the  surface  and  the  rise  of 
the  fish  should,  in  consequence,  be  more  apparent  to  the 
angler,  the  fish  in  this  case  being  mostly  hooked  by  the 
angler's  initiative  in  striking.  This  style  of  fishing  is 
undoubtedly  more  interesting  than  fishing  with  wet  fly 
down-stream. 

In  wet  fly  fishing  up-stream  the  successful  angler,  in  four 
cases  out  of  five,  is  dependent  on  his  skill  and  alertness  in 
striking  for  his  fish.  In  wet  fly  fishing  down-stream  the 
angler  is  dependent  in  four  cases  out  of  five  on  the  chance 
of  the  fish  hooking  itself,  and  in  this  respect  alone  it  will  be 
admitted  that  the  greater  interest  must  centre  in  fishing 
up-stream. 

Advantages  of  Both  Methods  Compared 

I  am  convinced  that  the  general  consideration  of  the 
relative  merits  of  these  two  methods  of  fly  fishing  is  often 
obscured  by  the  overshadowing  idea  of  filling  the  basket. 
This  anxiety,  however,  has  had  but  little  influence  on  those 
who  have  been  instrumental  in  bringing  Dry  Fly  Fishing 
into  favour  on  our  chalk  and  other  trout  streams. 

To  the  dry  fly  fisherman  the  weight  of  his  creel  takes 
second  place  to  his  love  of  the  methods  he  employs. 
Personally  I  prefer  to  fish  with  a  dry  fly,  even  if  I  achieve 
nothing  but  an  occasional  rise,  to  fishing  with  a  wet  fly, 
and  killing  a  number  of  fish.  Nay  !  I  can  regard  with 
perfect  composure  the  success  of  a  brother  angler,  who,  in 
using  the  wet  fly,  or  even  the  worm,  on  the   same   water 


FLY  FISHING  FOR  TROUT  7 

that  I  am  fishing,  fills  his  basket  and  finds  me  with  but  a 
brace  of  fish.  It  is  the  delightful  method,  more  than  its 
success,  which  makes  the  dry  fly  fisherman. 

However,  whether  the  angler  elects  to  fish  by  the  dry  or 
wet  method,  or  whether  he  may  be  spinning  a  minnow  or 
throwing  a  salmon  fly,  the  essential  object  he  has  to  achieve 
is  to  throw  his  line  in  the  lightest  and  most  accurate  manner. 
He  should  remember  that  the  more  nearly  he  can  extend 
his  line  in  a  horizontal  direction  in  the  forward  cast,  the 
more  lightly  will  his  fly  or  line  fall  on  the  surface  of  the 
water.  Lightness  and  delicacy  of  casting  are  especially 
necessary  for  dry  fly  fishing,  as  the  line  has  to  be  cast  more 
or  less  over  the  trout,  and  success  will  depend,  therefore, 
to  a  great  extent  on  skill  in  casting. 

If  the  dry  fly  fisherman  be  using  a  fly  similar  in  size  and 
appearance  to  that  which  is  being  taken  by  a  rising  fish, 
and  if  his  cast  and  line  be  thrown  so  that  the  fly  alights 
accurately  and  delicately  at  from  two  to  four  feet  above 
this  rising  trout's  position  immediately  after  a  rise,  and  the 
fly  is  permitted  to  float  on  the  surface  of  the  water  over  the 
rising  fish,  the  odds  on  the  fish  rising  again  to  this  fly  will 
be  about  level ;  but  if  the  fisherman  owing  to  his  first  cast 
being  faulty,  or  to  any  unnatural  movement  of  the  fly,  has 
to  make  a  second  cast,  the  odds  against  a  rise  will  be  as  ten 
to  one ;  and  if,  for  a  similar  reason,  a  third  cast  at  the  same 
fish  has  to  be  made,  the  odds  may  be  regarded  as  about  a 
hundred  to  one  against  a  rise. 

Since  I  first  ventured  to  express  this  axiom  I  have  been 
flattered  by  hearing  that  the  late  Captain  Marryatt,  one  of 
the  most  eminent  of  dry  fly  fishermen,  formulated  an  almost 
similar  axiom.  I  think,  however,  the  odds  he  expressed 
against  the  third  cast  being  successful  in  producing  a  rise 
were  as  fifty  to  one. 

To  be  successful  in  either  of  these  methods  of  trout  fly 


8  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

fishing  requires  in  addition  patience,  experience  and 
observation. 

Many  excellent  fishermen  confine  their  fishing  to  either 
the  wet  or  dry  fly  method,  but  while  the  most  successful 
fisherman  generally  will  be  he  who  is  in  reality  the  master  of 
both,  there  can  be  no  question  as  to  which  method  of  fishing 
requires  the  greater  skill  or  affords  the  more  delightful 
and  interesting  pastime. 

Even  on  such  classical  waters  of  dry  fly  fame  as  the 
Itchen  or  the  Test  there  are  days  when  the  trout  who  cannot 
or  who  will  not  see  the  floating  fly  may  yet  be  caught  on  the 
sunken  one.*  Again,  there  are  times  on  northern  loch  or 
on  the  waters  of  wet  fly  streams  when  the  wet  fly  expert 
may  use  his  sunken  lures  in  vain,  but  when  the  fish  will 
eagerly  take  the  floating  fly.  Both  wet  and  dry  fly  can  be 
used  with  success  on  the  same  day.  The  Rev.  Hamilton 
Young  caught  in  one  day,  on  the  Deveron,  forty-four  pounds  of 
trout,  using  both  wet  and  dry  fly  methods.  Here  is  the 
entry  from  his  diary  : 

"  The  Deveron,  May  lo,  1899. — Fished  from  9.30 

to  1.30  with  wet  fly,  using  the  Hareslug  and  Yellow 

Cotterel.     Wind  south,  rainy  and  squally  ;   then  sun 

came    out ;     wind    dropped.      Fished    with    Olive 

Quill,  and  got  most  heavy  trout.      Total  weight,  44 

pounds." 

It  will  be  readily  admitted,  however,  by  those  who  are 

skilled  in  both  methods  that  not  only  is  the  dry  fly  more 

successful  in  southern  waters  during  May,  June,  July  and 

August,  but  that,  as  a  means  to  sport,  it  is  infinitely  more 

fascinating  and  delightful  than  the  wet  fly.     The  tendency 

of  every  wet  fly  fisherman  is  toward  dry  fly  fishing,  and  the 

often  repeated  statements,  "  Oh,  it  is  too  scientific  for  me," 

"  I  should  like  to  learn,"  etc.,  are  my  apology  for  dealing 

*  On  this  subject,  "Minor  Tactics  on  our  Chalk  Streams,"  by  Mr.  Skues, 
is  a  book  well  worth  reading. 


u 

a:  "^ 
H   t 


FLY  FISHING  FOR  TROUT  9 

mainly  with  the  dry  fly  method.  The  dry  fly  enthusiast 
may  find  in  this  work  some  points  with  which  he  disagrees, 
yet  I  trust  that  the  attempt  to  explain  my  views  of  the 
science  of  dry  fly  fishing  may  at  least  be  of  use  to  the  wet 
fly  fisherman  and  the  student.  It  will  be,  therefore,  the 
art  of  dry  fly  fishing  to  which  I  shall  first  turn  the  student's 
attention,  dealing  with  the  wet  fly  later  on. 


I 


10  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 


CHAPTER    II 

DRY    FLY    FISHING.      A   DAY'S    COACHING    ON    A 
TROUT    STREAM 

Preparation  for  a  day's  fishing — Approaching  the  water — The  fly  and 
the  rise — Different  aspects  and  methods  of  fishing — Oiling  the 
fly — Greasing  the  line — Fishing  the  stream — Striking — Changing 
the  fly — Netting  the  fish — Methods  when  fishing — A  taut  line — 
The  rise  and  its  advantages — Fishing  the  rise — Striking  discussed 
— Keep  your  eye  on  the  fly — A  jumping  fish — Undersized  fish — 
Handling  a  trout — A  killable  age — The  broken  hook — The  fly 
retriever — A  big  fish. 

I  will  assume  that  my  reader  has  already  mastered  the 
ordinary  overhead  style  of  casting  a  fly,*  and  that  therefore 
he  is  competent  to  begin  fishing  for  trout.  He  is  not 
obliged  to  know  or  acquire  other  styles  of  casting,  however 
much  these  would  add  to  his  pleasure  and  skill  in  fishing,  but 
as  this  is  his  first  visit  to  a  trout  water,  and  as  he  may  have 
no  friend  at  hand  to  answer  his  questions,  to  show  him 
where  to  throw  his  fly,  or  to  tell  him  the  nature  and  habits 
of  the  speckled  beauties  he  is  so  anxious  to  secure,  I  must 
lead  him  still  further  afield  in  the  study  of  this  delightful 
and  engrossing  pursuit,  and  show  him  not  only  where  to 
cast  his  fly,  but  how  to  determine  what  fly  he  should  use, 
where  the  fish  are  to  be  most  readily  found,  and  how  to 
catch  them. 

With  this  object  will  you  come  with  me  for  a  few  hours' 
dry  fly  fishing.  You  can  leave  the  rod  and  line  with  which 
you  have  been  practising  at  home,  but  first  remember  to 

♦  See  instructions  contained  in  Chapter  IX.,  as  to  the  method  of  learning 
to  cast  a  dry  fly. 


A  DAY'S  DRY  FLY  FISHING  11 

unwind  that  portion  of  the  line  which  has  been  previously 
wetted.     Make  it  up  in  your  hand  (if  you  have  no  winder) 
into  large  loops  ;   put  your  rod  on  the  horizontal  rests  and 
hang  up  your  winder,  or  put  the  loops  of  the  line  on  the  butt 
of  your  rod.     A  fishing-rod  should  always  be  supported  in 
three  places  at  least — each  end  and  the  middle.      We   will 
take  my  own  rod,  which  is  all  ready  for  use,  with  gut  cast 
and   fly   attached.     The   first    thing   to   be   considered   is 
whether  we  have  everything  we  shall  want,  and  if  we  are 
quite  prepared  for  our  fishing.      Let  us  see.      Are  you  well 
shod  with  good  serviceable  watertight  boots  with   plenty 
of  nails  ?     All  right.     Then,   as  you  have  your  tobacco, 
pipe,    and    matches,    and    some    sandwiches,    never    mind 
anything  else  to-day.     I   have   all   that   is   required — my 
creel,  my  net,  etc.     Your  tweeds  are  a  good  colour,  but 
you  had  better  put  on  a  soft  cap,  as  that  straw  hat  of  yours 
is  too  conspicuous.     And  now,  while  we  are  walking  down 
to  the  lower  end  of  our  water,  we  can  discuss  the  nature  of 
the  day's  sport.     We  shall  fish — that  is,  cast  the  fly — up- 
stream, which,  except  when  fishing  on  still  water,  is  essential 
for  dry  fly  fishing.     The  dry  fly  must  not  be  influenced  by 
any  motion  of  the  line  or  rod  after  it  has  alighted,  and  by 
casting  up-stream  the  fly  floats  down  towards  the  fisherman, 
who  steadily  takes  up  the  slack  line  as  it  comes  back  to 
him,  either  by  the  hand,  the  reel,  or  by  raising  the  point 
of  his  rod,  but  in  whichever  way  the  slack  line  is  raised  off 
the  water,  it  must  not  interfere  with  that  portion  of  the 
line  and  cast  near  the  fly.     The  fly  must   float   easily  and 
naturally  down  stream  as  any  drag  or  movement  imparted 
to  it  will  most  certainly  scare  the  ordinary  trout.* 

The  dry  fly  fisherman,  all  circumstances  being  alike,  is 
far  less  likely  to  be  seen  by  the  trout  than  is  the  wet  fly 

*  For  full  instruction  as  to  the  best  method  of  gathering  in  the  slack  line 
when  fishing  out  a  dry  fly  cast,  see  page  50. 


12  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

fisherman,  and  consequently  can  take  his  sport  more  at  his 
ease.  For  he  of  the  wet  fly  who  fishes  up-stream  has  to 
use  a  shorter  line,  and  is  consequently  nearer  the  fish, 
while  he  who  fishes  down-stream  is  faced  by  the  trout, 
and  has  to  exercise  the  greatest  caution  in  order  to  escape 
observation.  Trout  lie  invariably  with  their  heads  pointed 
up-stream  or  against  the  current,  and  are  in  consequence 
looking  away  from  the  up-stream,  but  towards  the  down- 
stream fisherman.  Trout  can  easily  see  from  a  point 
right  ahead  to  an  angle  of  150  degrees  on  either  side 
in  the  plane  in  which  they  are  lying,  leaving  an  angle  of 
about  60  degrees  in  which  the  fisherman  may  escape  observa- 
tion, provided  he  is  not  perched  too  much  over  them,  so 
that  in  fishing  outside  this  zone  of  safety  he  must  endeavour 
to  be  as  near  the  surface  of  the  water  as  possible  (see  "  The 
Vision  of  Trout,*'  p.  88).  This  position  of  the  trout,  facing 
up-stream,  is  also  an  important  advantage  to  the  angler 
when  fishing  up-stream,  for  when  striking  his  hook  will  be 
pulled  back  into  the  mouth  of  the  trout,  instead  of  being 
pulled  from  or  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  trout,  as  is  the  case 
when  fishing  down-stream.     See  p.  91. 

As  we  are  now  approaching  the  stream,  we  will  look  at 
the  water  and  see  if  anything  is  moving.  By  standing  here 
and  looking  up  stream  we  shall  not  scare  the  fish,  and  in 
order  to  see  if  the  trout  are  feeding  we  must  look  out  for 
any  unusual  movement  on  the  surface  of  the  water,  such  as 
the  ring  or  dimple  made  by  a  rising  fish.  No,  there  is 
nothing  moving  yet  ;  it  is  perhaps  a  little  too  early  or  not 
quite  warm  enough  to  tempt  the  sub-imago — i.e.,  the  first 
flying  state  of  the  various  water  insects — to  leave  their 
shelter  on  the  banks  of  the  stream,  or  to  impel  the  pupae  to 
come  to  the  surface  in  order  to  enter  their  aerial  life,  and 
therefore,  until  some  forms  of  insect  life  begin  to  move  on 
or  to  the  surface,  the  trout  are  not  likely  to  rise.     In  my 


A  DAY'S  DRY  FLY  FISHING  13 

creel  is  a  small  and  light  telescopic  butterfly-net  and 
priest ;  it  is  ready  for  use  in  a  few  seconds,  and  by  its  aid  I 
catch  that  gnat-like  fly  floating  on  the  water.  It  is  a  flying 
form  of  water  insect  life  called  the  Blue  Quill,  the  very  fly 
the  trout  were  taking  yesterday.  Look  !  There  is  another 
one  on  the  water  floating  down,  probably  one  of  a  previous 
so-called  hatch  of  the  same  fly.  I  will  catch  him  to  make 
certain.  Watch  how  I  do  it.  I  slip  the  net  into  the  watei 
just  in  the  way  of  the  fly,  which  floats  into  it.  Here  he  is. 
clinging  to  the  muslin.  Now  look  at  these  two  flies  carefully. 
You  can  see  at  once  that  both  are  just  like  the  Blue  Quill 
fly  on  my  line,  one  of  the  best-known  flies  on  southern 
English  waters.  If  you  fit  this  watchmaker's  magnifying- 
glass  into  your  eye,  you  will  notice  more  distinctly  the  colour 
and  appearance  of  its  delicate  wings,  its  body,  and  its  legs.* 

Now  we  will  see  if  there  is  any  rise.  No,  there  are  no 
signs  of  a  move  yet,  as  the  pupae  which  will  form  to-day's 
hatch  are  possibly  waiting  among  the  weeds  until  the  water 
becomes  a  little  warmer  or  perhaps  altered  by  some 
meteorological  change,  before  rising  to  the  surface,  and 
therefore  the  trout  have  not  been  as  yet  excited  by  their 
appearance. 

We  had  better,  therefore,  continue  our  walk  down  to 
out  starting-point  at  the  lower  end  of  our  water.  What  ! 
You  saw  a  rise  ?  Where  ?  Oh,  I  see.  That  is  not  a 
trout,  but  a  water-rat.  See  him  working  his  way  up-stream 
among  the  rushes  and  under  the  long  grass  of  the  bank. 
Notice  how  he  makes  a  long  slanting,  rippling  line  from  the 
bank  out  into  the  stream,  instead  of  the  detached  ripple  or 

*  If  a  fly  is  caught  the  name  of  which  is  unknown  to  the  student,  it  should 
be  compared  with  the  flies  in  his  fly  box  and  its  name  thus  ascertained,  or 
placed  in  a  small  specimen  bottle  and  either  shown  to  a  friendly  authority 
or  forwarded  to  the  author  of  this  book  or  to  the  retailer  with  whom  the 
student  may  deal.  By  this  means  a  general  entomological  knowledge  will 
be  obtained.  A  single  watchmaker's  glass  is  always  a  most  useful  adjunct 
to  carry  in  your  fishing  bag,  also  a  small  butterfly  net. 


14  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

ring  peculiar  to  the  rise  of  a  fish.  The  rise  of  a  trout  varies 
in  size,  from  the  most  delicate  circular  dimple  of  the  big 
fish  feeding  near  the  surface,  to  the  splash  and  wave  made 
by  some  small  fish  as  he  jumps  clean  out  of  the  water,  in  his 
eagerness  to  get  the  fly.  We  will  now  go  on  down-stream, 
keeping  well  away  from  the  water,  as  we  don't  want  to 
frighten  the  fish.  Trout,  as  I  said  before,  lie  with  their 
heads  up-stream,  and  their  attention  is  thus  directed  to 
any  food  which  may  come  floating  down  toward  them 
either  on  or  below  the  surface  of  the  water  ;  it  is  necessary, 
therefore,  for  the  fisherman  to  find  out  what  the  trout  are 
feeding  on,  and  then  present  this  food  to  them  in  the  most 
natural  manner  possible.  The  wet  fly  fisherman  does  this 
by  sinking  his  flies  below  the  surface,  and  dropping  them 
down-stream  toward  the  fish,  and  the  dry  fly  fisherman 
throws  his  fly  up-stream  on  the  surface  of  the  water,  and 
above  the  trout,  and  lets  it  float  down  to  the  fish. 

The  food  which  the  wet  or  dry  fly  fisherman  has  to 
imitate,  in  order  to  attract  and  secure  the  trout,  are  the 
various  forms  of  water  insects,  either  in  their  larval,  sub- 
imago  or  imago  state.  The  transition  from  the  pupal  to 
the  sub-imago  form  is  quite  naturally,  though  erroneously, 
alluded  to  by  most  fishermen  as  "  hatching."  The  water 
insect  is  hatched  when  it  leaves  the  e^g  and  enters  the  larval 
stage  of  its  life,  not  when  it  undergoes  the  metamorphosis 
into  the  sub-imago,  or  imago  state. 

There  is  but  little  difference  in  the  appearance  of  an 
Ephemera  when  it  is  bursting  its  mask  and  entering  into 
its  sub-imago  existence  and  that  of  the  sub-imago  in  a 
drowned  condition,  and  it  is  therefore  in  these  two  con- 
ditions that  the  wet  fly  fisherman  imitates  its  appearance 
and  presents  it  to  the  trout.  But  it  is  only  when  this 
water  insect  is  in  its  living  and  flying  sub-imago  or  imago 
condition  that  the  dry  fly  fisherman  copies  its  appearance. 


A  DAY'S  DRY  FLY  FISHING  15 

Hence  you  will  readily  understand  that  the  latter  has  not 
only  to  use  the  more  perfect  and  life-like  form  of  fly,  but  to 
present  it  poised  naturally  and  in  life-like  condition  on  the 
surface  of  the  water.  The  wet  fly  fisherman  can,  on  the 
other  hand,  present  flies  to  the  trout  either  on  or  under  the 
surface  of  the  water,  and  in  a  far  less  perfect  condition. 

Now,  as  the  water  is  clear  and  the  weather  is  warm, 
flying  water  insects  will  soon  be  numerous,  consequently 
the  fish  will  be  taking  the  dry  fly,  and  therefore  we  will  first 
of  all  try  our  friend  the  Blue  Quill ;  for  two  things  are 
certain  :  that  the  fish  were  taking  this  fly  yesterday,  and 
also  that  there  are  some  of  these  flies  already  on  the  water, 
and  probably  there  will  be  an  early  hatch  of  the  same  kind 
before  long.  We  have  seen  no  rise,  it  is  true,  but  we  may 
be  able  to  tempt  a  fish  before  the  rise  proper  commences, 
and  this  I  call  "  fishing  the  stream."  When  the  rise  com- 
mences we  shall  try  for  rising  fish,  and  this  I  call  "  fishing 
the  rise."  There  is  more  scientific  knowledge  required 
when  fishing  the  stream  with  a  dry  fly  than  in  fishing  the 
rise,  and  the  former  is  perhaps  the  more  successful  method 
throughout  the  day  ;  for  while  the  rise  may  be  uncertain 
and  very  brief,  fish  can  be  taken  at  all  times  during  the  day, 
if  a  knowledge  of  the  locality  and  the  habits  of  trout  be 
possessed,  by  casting  the  fly  in  the  most  likely  spots,  even 
though  the  trout  are  not  rising  in  the  strict  sense  of  the 
term. 

The  dry  fly  fisherman  should  fish  the  rise  when  it  is 
apparent,  and  fish  the  stream  at  all  other  times.  It  is 
impossible  for  anyone  to  see  more  than  a  limited  extent  of 
the  water,  even  in  his  immediate  vicinity,  and  innumerable 
rises  may,  therefore,  escape  his  notice.  Fish  are  not  always 
feeding,  and  even  when  feeding  are  by  no  means  always 
rising  to  the  surface.  It  follows,  therefore,  that  if  a  fly  is 
cast  in  all  likely  places — while  not  omitting  at  the  same  time 


16  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

to  keep  a  sharp  look-out  for  rising  fish — trout  will  be  taken 
whose  rise  has  not  been  seen,  or  who  may  not  have  felt 
inclined  to  rise  before  seeing  the  angler's  fly. 

In  both  wet  and  dry  fly  fishing,  you  offer  to  the  fish  food 
which  you  consider  is  most  likely  to  excite  its  desire,  and  you 
try  to  present  this  food  in  a  manner  most  nearly  approach- 
ing the  natural  conditions  in  which  it  is  generally  observed 
by  the  trout.  If  the  catching  of  fish  be  the  principal  object 
of  fishing,  then  the  greatest  importance  must  be  attached  to 
that  method  of  angling  which  presents  food,  or  imitations  of 
food  to  the  fish,  in  a  form  and  in  a  manner  most  nearly 
approaching  the  occurrence  and  the  appearance  of  the  food 
of  their  every-day  life. 

During  the  course  of  the  year,  the  food  upon  which  the 
trout  most  commonly  feed  consists  of  worms,  water  shrimps, 
larval  and  pupal  forms  of  insect  life,  and  the  drowned  or 
partially  submerged  forms  of  flying  or  other  insects,  and  as 
these  only  exist  to  the  trout  below  the  surface  of  the  water, 
the  most  killing  lures  should  be  those  which  are  submerged 
and  which  represent  the  above-mentioned  foods. 

But  the  occupation  of  trout  fishing  cannot  now  be  regarded 
as  a  means  of  livelihood,  but  merely  as  a  sporting  pastime, 
which  offers,  at  its  best,  a  relaxation  to  our  worries  and  our 
cares,  or  at  least  presents  a  very  pleasant  and  charming 
variation  to  the  pleasures  of  life,  and  it  is  for  this  reason 
that  the  style  or  the  method  of  fly  fishing  which  gives  the 
greatest  pleasure  and  which  affords  the  keenest  enjoyment 
with  the  least  sacrifice  of  fish  life,  will  be  that  which  will 
eventually  become  the  recognised  method  of  fly  fishing  with 
sportsmen. 

As  the  wet  fly  method  of  fishing  superseded  bottom  fishing 
as  a  sport,  so  is  dry  fly  fishing  rapidly  superseding  much  of 
the  time  hitherto  spent  on  wet  fly  fishing,  and  however  much 
may  be  said  in  favour  of  the  latter,  however  killing  it  may 


A  DAY'S  DRY  FLY  FISHING  17 

be  in  the  early  months  of  the  year,  however  great  is  the 
art  of  using  the  sunken  lure  on  a  dry  fly  stream  during  the 
rest  of  the  year — still,  the  method  of  dry  fly  fishing  will, 
season  by  season,  claim  an  ever-increasing  number  of 
devotees. 

There  are  many  excellent  dry  fly  fishermen  whose 
greatest  pleasure  is  to  devote  themselves  to  killing  some 
particularly  big  or  wily  trout,  and  who,  with  this  intent, 
neglect  other  and  more  easily  caught  trout  in  order  to  creel 
this — the  one  object  of  their  sport.  There  are  others  who 
will  cast  for  none  other  than  a  rising  fish,  viz.,  a  fish  which 
they  or  their  gillie  may  have  been  lucky  enough  to  notice 
when  rising,  and  who,  failing  to  spot  such  a  rise,  are  content 
to  linger  for  long  hours  mooning  about  the  bank  of  the  trout 
stream,  until  they  or  their  man  happen  to  spot  a  rising 
fish.*  Such  men  look  upon  the  fisherman  who  fishes  for  a 
fish  which  he  sees,  or  which  he  knows  will  be  located  in  any 
definite  position — but  which  may  not  be  rising — as  a  sort 
of  poacher,  or  at  the  best  as  wanting  in  sporting  instincts. 

There  are  others — and  good  fishermen  too — whose  great 
pleasure  is  to  see  the  fish  before  casting,  and  thus  to  have 
the  delight  of  watching  the  rise,  when  they  cast  to  the  fish 
they  have  spotted.  These  at  least  are  most  likely  to  learn 
how  to  temper  their  methods  to  suit  the  fish,  for  they  have 
the  advantage  of  seeing  the  effect  they  produce  when 
casting. 

There  are  others — I  am  one  of  them — who  may  not  possess 
the  keenness  of  vision  always  to  see  the  fish  below  the 
surface,  who  may  not  have  the  leisure  to  moon  about  a  trout 
stream,  waiting,  like  the  sick  at  the  pool  of  Siloam,  for  the 
stirring  of  the  waters,  but  whose  principal  delight  is  that,  by 
the  skilfulness  of  their  casting,  their  knowledge  of  the  fish, 

*  A  tendency  fostered  by  their  having  to  confine  their  fishing  to  a  limited 
amount  of  water. 


18  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

flies  and  stream  combined,  they  are  able  to  induce  the  fish, 
non-rising  or  otherwise,  to  rise  to  their  fly. 

I  have  known  dear  old  friends  of  mine  contented  to  sit 
in  a  hut,  or  on  their  mackintoshes,  hour  after  hour  waiting 
for  a  rise — which  was  occurring  all  through  the  day,  un- 
observed either  by  them  or  their  drowsy  attendant — when 
had  they  been  younger,  possessed  of  more  energy  and 
knowledge  of  where  the  trout  lay,  they  would  have  been 
enjoying  the  delight  of  casting  a  dry  fly,  and  backing  their 
knowledge  and  skill  against  the  adverse  circumstances  of 
non-rising  fish.  As  a  well-known  sportsman  said  to  me  : 
"  I  do  not  much  care  whether  I  catch  fish  or  not,  it  is 
the  delight  of  casting  a  dry  fly  to  every  likely  spot  which  not 
only  affords  me  a  constant  pleasure,  but  well  repays  a  day 
spent  by  the  river  side." 

Oiling  the  Fly 

We  have  now  reached  our  starting-point,  and  before 
commencing  we  will  carefully  examine  our  tackle.  First 
let  me  caution  you  against  laying  the  rod  on  the  ground, 
as  this  is  always  dangerous ;  for  even  if  you  should 
never  tread  on  it  yourself,  someone  else  might  possibly  do 
so.  Press  the  spear,  which  should  be  always  fitted  into  the 
butt  end  of  the  rod,  firmly  but  delicately  into  a  soft  tuft  of 
grass,  and  you  have  thus  both  hands  at  liberty.  If  you 
drive  the  rod  into  the  ground  with  a  jerk  you  will  put  a 
strain  on  to  your  winch,  especially  if  it  be  a  Nottingham  one, 
which  may  injure  it,  and  in  any  case  a  jerk  can  do  no  good 
to  the  rod.  When  you  have  no  spear,  place  the  butt  of 
the  rod  on  the  ground  and  let  the  upper  part  rest  against 
the  body  between  the  arms.  You  have,  as  before,  your 
hands  at  liberty.  Now  the  rod  is  standing  up  out  of  any 
danger,  and  we  must  look  carefully  at  the  gut  cast  and 
at  the  fly,  and  see  that  they  are  in  good  order.     Everything 


A  DAY'S  DRY  FLY  FISHING  19 

being  all  right,  we  must  render  the  fly  as  buoyant  as  possible, 
and  this  we  do  by  applying  some  odourless  parafl&n-oil. 

The  most  convenient  form  and  the  cleanest  and  best 
method  of  carrying  the  oil  necessary  for  this  purpose  is  in 
a  small  box  such  as  that  which  I  have  in  my  hand  (see 
final  chapter).  The  box  shuts  tightly  and  opens  with  a 
spring.  Inside  is  a  small  pad  of  woollen  felt,  which  should 
be  saturated  with  odourless  parafl&n  before  leaving  home. 
The  fly,  after  being  dried  by  switching  the  rod  backward 
and  forward,  is  pressed  down  by  the  finger  and  thumb  on 
to  this  saturated  pad,  taking  care  not  to  injure  the  wings, 
and  some  of  the  oil  held  in  the  pad  is  thereupon  transferred 
to  the  fly.  In  order  to  get  rid  of  any  superfluous  oil,  it  is 
advisable  to  press  the  fly  on  the  pad  in  the  lid  of  the  box. 

I  certainly  advise  you  to  apply  some  grease  to  the  line 
and  cast.  I  am  by  no  means  forgetting  the  prevalent  idea 
that  a  floating  cast  may  put  the  trout  down,  or  that  the 
life  of  a  cast  is  injured  by  the  use  of  fat.  I  do  not  think  that 
a  good  and  carefully  prepared  gut  cast  will  suffer  from  the 
application  of  any  pure  fatty  substance.  In  very  clear  water 
on  a  fine  day,  a  floating  cast  will  produce  more  shadow  than 
the  same  cast  when  submerged,  and  on  a  well-fished  and 
shallow  chalk  stream,  the  more  defined  the  shadow  cast  by 
the  line,  the  more  likely  is  it  to  scare  the  trout  ;  but  I  have 
in  other  ways  noticed  the  very  great  advantage  which  a 
floating  cast  possesses,  and  to  secure  this  advantage  I  take 
care  that  my  cast  is  sufiiciently  greased  to  float  on  the 
surface.* 

In  any  case,  I  should  advise  the  reader  to  use  pure 
animal  fats,  and  to  avoid  chemical  mixtures,  however 
much  they  may  be  advertised  ;  for  although  greasy  to  the 
touch,   they   have   frequently   a   pernicious   effect   on    the 

*  By  a  floating  cast  I  mean  one  which  will  lie  straight  and  evenly,  and 
only  partially  submerged,  on  the  surface  of  the  water. 


20  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

delicate  lines  and  casts  used  in  dry  fly  fishing.     Now  we  are 
ready. 

Fishing  the  Stream 

You  see,  there  are  one  or  two  more  Blue  Quill  coming 
down,  but  no  signs  of  a  trout,  and  as  we  have  plenty  of 
water  ahead,  we  will  try  and  tempt  the  fish  to  rise  to  our 
fly.  Now,  this  is  where  experience  and  stream  lore  are  so 
necessary.  Although  brown  trout  alter  their  position,  they 
seldom  go  far  from  their  own  particular  retreat,  yet  the 
wind,  the  time  of  day,  the  heat  or  cold,  the  clear  or  thick 
state  of  the  water,  considerably  affect  their  movements. 
Loch  Leven  trout  are  rarely  stationary  when  feeding, 
moving  from  one  position  in  a  pool  to  another. 

Loch  trout,  and  I  think  Loch  Leven  trout  in  particular, 
when  introduced  into  our  southern  rivers,  are  far  more 
inclined  to  move  from  place  to  place  in  search  of  food  than 
are  the  brown  trout  which  inhabit  them.  The  reason  for 
this  may  be  due  to  the  inherited  instinct  of  trout — indigenous 
to  lochs — which  have  to  seek  their  food,  so  far  as  flying  insects 
are  concerned,  in  ever  varying  localities  in  their  domain ; 
while  the  river  trout  are  obliged  to  wait  in  the  most  favour- 
able position  near  their  place  of  refuge  until  their  food  is 
brought  to  them  by  the  wind  or  by  the  current  on  one  or 
the  other  side  of  the  stream  they  inhabit.  The  trout  in 
lochs,  having  to  roam  the  water  world  of  the  lakes  they 
inhabit  for  their  food,  are  accustomed  to  gain  security  by 
flight  into  the  comparatively  limitless  regions  surrounding 
them. 

To  men  who  only  cast  for  rising  fish,  Loch  Leven  trout 
on  a  deepish  stream  are  a  rather  worrying  proposition, 
for  some  time,  at  least,  after  their  introduction — for  they 
prefer  the  deeper  pools,  and  as  the  movements  of  the  fish 
under  water  cannot,  or  should  not,  be  seen,  and  as  the  spot 


A  DAY'S  DRY  FLY  FISHING  21 

at  which  the  Loch  Leven  trout  rises  varies  from  moment  to 
moment,  the  fisherman  who  only  casts  to  the  rise  will,  however 
correctly  and  quickly  his  fly  may  reach  the  spot  at  which 
the  rise  has  taken  place,  be  too  late,  for  the  fish  will  fail 
to  see  the  fly,  having  moved  off  to  rise  again  in  some  new 
and  unexpected  position.  When,  therefore,  in  such  a  case 
a  feeding  fish  is  seen  at  work  it  is  of  little  use  casting  to  its 
rise.  The  stream  must  be  fished,  and  the  fly  thrown,  so 
as  to  anticipate  if  possible  its  progress  from  one  place  to 
another. 

The  most  successful  fisherman  is,  therefore,  he  who  has, 
from  former  experience,  an  intuitive  knowledge  of  just 
where  a  trout  is  likely  to  be  lying,  and  also  what  the  trout 
is  likely  to  be  thinking  about  when  there.  So  now,  with  no 
fish  in  sight — i.e.,  rising — I  yet  feel  confident  that  there 
ought  to  be  a  decent  fish  just  at  the  lower  side  of  the  opening 
between  those  weeds,  also  that  he  is  thinking  about  food, 
and  that  on  this  occasion  it  is  floating  food.  I  shall  try, 
therefore,  to  place  my  fly  about  two  feet  above  the  opening, 
so  that  it  will  float  down  to  where  I  think  he  is  waiting. 
It  is  a  nice  easy  cast  of  about  fifteen  yards  right  up- 
stream ;  the  breeze  is  also  up-stream,  and  therefore  in  our 
favour. 

You  will  notice  that  I  get  my  correct  length  of  line, 
not  by  trial  casting  in  the  air  over  the  fish,  which  would 
scare  him,  but  by  casting  in  the  air  to  one  side  or  the  other. 
Now  watch  !  There  !  The  fly  has  fallen  just  in  the  right 
place.  See,  the  wings  are  beautifully  cocked,  and  the  fly 
is  sailing  down  through  the  opening  of  the  weeds,  and  as 
it  does  so  I  take  in  the  slack  of  the  line  as  it  comes  back  to 
me.*  There!  Tut  !  tut  !  I  have  missed  him  !  Of  course, 
I  don't  blame  myself — fishermen  rarely  do  so.  I  think, 
or  say  I  think,  he  came  rather  short  ;  but  one  thing  is  certain 
•  See  "  Slack  line,"  page  60. 


22  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

— he  came  at  my  fly.  I  flick  my  line  backward  and  for- 
ward in  the  air  twice,  and  my  fly  is  quite  dry  again,  so  I  will 
try  once  more.  There  !  just  as  before  :  the  fly  floated 
down  beautifully,  but  I  missed  him  again. 

Striking 

While  still  emphasizing  the  importance  of  striking 
immediately  the  fish  rises,  it  is  advisable  to  warn  you  that 
there  are  some  occasions  when  it  may  be  better  to  vary 
such  a  practice.  At  the  beginning  of  the  rise  of  the  May  fly 
for  instance,  the  trout  and  other  fish  appear  to  be  somewhat 
shy  of  gulping  flying  insect  food  presented  to  them  on  a 
scale,  comparatively  speaking,  larger  than  that  of  the  ordinary 
flying  insects  upon  which  they  feed,  and  instead  of  taking 
the  new  food  boldly  into  the  mouth  they  take  hold  of  a 
part  only  of  the  fly,  for  the  purpose,  I  think,  of  dragging  it 
under  water  and  investigating  its  character.  If,  then,  at  the 
beginning  of  a  rise  of  May  fly,  or  of  any  other  flying  insect, 
you  fail  to  hook  the  fish  you  strike  at,  you  will  probably 
find  it  worth  your  while  before  striking,  to  give  the  trout 
time  enough  to  shift  his  grip  from  what  may  be  only  the 
wing  of  the  fly  presented  to  him. 

The  failure  to  hook  a  rising  fish  then,  may  be  due,  first 
of  all,  to  striking  in  a  tardy  or  slow  manner,  and  secondly, 
on  rare  occasions,  to  striking  too  quickly. 

I  have  heard  that  a  well-known  authority  on  the  entomology 
of  our  chalk  streams  has  declared  that  in  a  May  fly  rise 
the  numerals  up  to  three  should  be  repeated  aloud  after 
the  trout  has  seized  the  fly,  and  before  the  strike  is  made. 
Any  such  dictum  must  of  course  be  regarded  as  contro- 
vertible, however  successful  it  may  be  under  circumstances 
such  as  those  mentioned  above,  or  when  the  trout  are 
"  coming  short,"  and  "  playing  with  "  or  "  drowning  " 
your  fly. 


A  DAY'S  DRY  FLY  FISHING  23 

The  strike  should  be  made  as  the  trout  rises  at  the  fly, 
for  the  fish,  after  taking  the  fly,  will  as  a  rule  turn  down 
stream,  then  round,  and  up  stream  again  to  his  original 
position,  and  the  strike  if  delayed  may  pull  the  fly  out  of 
the  mouth  of  the  fish  as  it  faces  down  stream  and  towards 
the  fisherman.* 

The  big  trout  will  reject  a  fly  just  as  quickly  as  the 
small  one,  but  the  little  trout  is  more  likely  to  play  with, 
to  come  short,  or  to  wish  to  "  drown  *'  a  fly  than  the  former, 
and  therefore  at  each  rise  there  should  as  a  rule  be  no  delay 
in  striking — but  if  the  immediate  strike  proves  abortive, 
then — and  not  till  then — can  a  more  delayed  manner  of 
striking  be  experimented  with.  When  fishing  with  the 
natural  stone  fly,  that  is  to  say,  the  Northern  May  fly, 
when  dapping  with  the  natural  May  fly  on  the  southern 
and  Irish  streams,  unless  the  fish  are  rising  furiously,  it  is 
better  to  pause  for  the  fraction  of  a  second  in  order  that  the 
fly,  which  may  have  been  only  partly  seized,  may  be  taken 
completely  into  the  mouth  of  the  trout.  A  natural  fly, 
if  properly  attached  to  the  hook,  is  less  likely  to  be  rejected 
than  is  the  artificial,  and  the  pause  I  now  suggest  is  not 
likely  to  result  in  the  rejection  of  a  natural  fly  if  it  be  only 
partially  taken  into  the  mouth  of  the  fish,  but  will  lead  to 
a  more  complete  seizure. 

A  pause  before  striking,  however,  is  here  worth  trying, 
so  that  at  the  next  rise  we  had  better  not  strike  until 
one  second  has  elapsed.  Now  I  dry  my  fly  once  more  and 
cast  again.  There  !  he  is  rising — now  I  strike — with  no 
greater  success  than  before.  I  will  try  him  just  once 
again — no  luck  ! 

•  Francis  Francis  says  : — "  As  to  giving  any  direct  rules  when  to  strike, 
they  would  be  of  little  avail,  as  sometimes  fish  rise  quickly,  and  take  quickly, 
sometimes  with  more  circumspection,  and  sometimes  altogether  falsely. 
Practice  alone  will  teach  the  angler  what  to  do,  and  how  and  when  to  do  it, 
and  all  arguments  about  it  are  mere  waste  of  time." — A  Work  on  Angling, 
1885. 


24  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

We  will  now  give  him  a  rest,  and  try  somewhere  else ;  as 
the  fish  are  not  on  the  shallows  yet,  let  us  try  the  opposite 
side  just  by  the  bank.  The  water  is  deep  and  dark,  and  if 
one  is  there  he  will  be  a  big  one.  You  see  that  I  now  stoop 
well  down,  as  much  out  of  sight  as  possible,  when  I  cast, 
because  from  here  I  am  more  noticeable  to  the  fish  opposite 
than  to  the  one  we  have  just  missed  (see  "  Vision  of  Trout," 
p.  88).  I  have  three  tries,  but  no  luck.  If  one  is  there  he 
is  not  to  be  tempted.  We  will  try  our  first  friend  again. 
I  can  stand  upright  again,  being  almost  directly  behind  him. 

I  dry  my  line  and  fly  by  three  preliminary  switches, 
and  again  the  fly  alights  just  above  the  opening  and  floats 
down,  but  this  time  I  get  no  notice  at  all  from  the  trout. 
Once  more — failure  again  !  Well,  as  I  don't  like  to  leave 
a  rising  fish,  we  will  try  another  fly,  and  this  time  one  of  a 
warmer  tint.  Often  it  is  a  good  plan,  when  the  fish  have  not 
started  really  feeding  on  the  fly  of  yesterday,  to  try  a  fly 
with  red  hackles.  So  you  see  this  fly  in  my  cap  that  I  am 
going  to  use  ;  it  is  called  the  Red  Quill.  It  has  double 
starling  wings,  red  hackle,  and  quill  body.  I  now  press  the 
spear  of  the  rod  into  the  turf  again,  and  my  hands  are  free. 
You  see  these  small  but  sharp  scissors  in  my  knife,  which 
I  have  secured  by  a  chain  and  keep  in  my  right-hand  coat 
pocket ;  I  snip  off  the  gut  with  them  close  to  the  eye  of  the 
hook,  cutting  the  knot  if  possible,  and,  after  clearing  out 
the  gut  from  the  eye  of  the  hook  with  the  pricker  in  the 
knife,  stick  the  fly  into  my  cap,  just  where  you  see  two  or  three 
more  flies  of  the  same  colour.  I  place  the  end  of  the  gut  in 
my  mouth  to  soften  while  I  detach  the  Red  Quill  by  taking 
it  firmly  between  the  finger  and  thumb,  and  by  working  it 
gently,  it  readily  comes  free  from  the  rough  material  of 
my  cap.  I  now  slip  the  end  of  the  softened  gut  through  the 
eye  of  the  fly,  passing  it  round  the  cast  above  the  eye  in  an 
overhand   knot.     I    then    draw   this    knot   taut,    and   by 


A  DAY'S  DRY  FLY  FISHING  26 

pulling  on  the  cast  bring  this  overhand  knot  close  to  the 
eye  of  the  fly.  I  have  used  as  small  an  end  as  possible, 
which  I  now  cut  off.*  The  Red  Quill  fly  must  now  be  oiled 
as  before.  We  are  now  ready  again.  The  scissors  of 
the  knife  are  now  closed,  it  and  the  oil  box  are  placed 
in  my  pocket,  and  I  take  the  rod,  lift  the  spear  out  of 
the  ground,  get  my  length,  and  cast  again.     Now  watch  ! 

Netting  the  Fish 
There  !  He  has  risen,  you  see,  and  now,  by  a  slight 
upward  movement  of  my  hand,  I  have  hooked  the  trout, 
and  before  he  has  time  to  realize  what  is  the  matter  I  have 
drawn  him  below  and  away  from  the  dangerous  vicinity  of 
the  weeds.  See  I  how  he  fights  to  get  back  to  his  retreat, 
but  it  is  no  good.  Now  he  is  trying  to  bore  down  into  that 
dark  hole  ;  there  may  be  danger  there,  so  I  keep  him  well 
up.  I  have  plenty  of  water,  and  by  a  firm  but  gentle 
opposition,  I  check  every  rush  he  makes,  keeping  my  rod 
well  up,  and  finally  bring  my  prize  well  below  the  unfished 
water.  My  left  hand  is  winding  up  the  reel,  and  the  ever- 
shortening  line  is  bringing  him  nearer  and  nearer.  Note 
the  end  of  the  rod  ;  it  is  well  up,  and  the  bend  is  nearly 
always  the  same,  for  the  line  must  never  be  slack  after  the 
fish  is  hooked,  and  the  necessary  strain  is  achieved  by  the 
delicacy  of  the  grip  of  the  hand  which  holds  the  rod.  By 
careful  play  I  have  at  last  beaten  him,  and  the  line  is  short 
enough  to  make  the  landing-net  available,  so  my  left  hand 
leaves  the  reel  and  steals  to  the  net  ;  it  is  lifted  out  of  its 
ring  and  flicked  out  to  its  full  length,  and  then,  gently 
stooping,  I  bring  the  rod  well  back  and  steer  the  fish  slowly 
towards  the  net,  which  you  see  I  hold  diagonally,  well 
under  the  water,  keeping  it  quite  stationary  until  the  trout 

*  For  further  particulars  of  this  and  other  kinds  of  knots  see  Chapters 
VII.  and  XVI. 


26  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

is  above  it.  Then,  by  a  steady  lift,  I  have  the  beauty  secure, 
and  carry  him  up  the  bank. 

Once  more  my  spear  is  used,  my  rod  is  safe,  and  my 
disengaged  right  hand  grasps  the  fish  below  the  gills,  the 
thumb  and  forefinger  seeking  the  gill  opening,  leaving  my 
left  to  kill  and  unhook  my  fish.  Notice  how  well  hooked 
he  is — fairly  back  in  the  lower  part  of  the  tongue.  Here 
again  let  me  remind  you  of  the  advantage  in  the  dry  fly 
method.  As  you  now  know,  the  fish  takes  the  fly  in  most 
cases  when  he  sees  it  coming  towards  him  from  up-stream  ; 
when,  therefore,  you  are  fishing  below  him,  the  hook,  as 
a  natural  consequence,  is  pulled  into  his  jaw,  as  in  this 
case,  instead  of  being  jerked  out  of  his  mouth,  as  when 
fishing  above  him,  and  this  shows  that  the  chance  of 
hooking  a  rising  fish  by  the  up-stream  method  is  infinitely 
greater  than  when  wet  fly  fishing  down-stream. 

It  is  a  good  fish  and  well  above  the  size  limit,  so  it  will  go 
into  the  creel ;  but  how  are  we  to  kill  it  ?  When  a  trout 
exceeds  half  a  pound  the  most  merciful  and  cleanest  method 
of  administering  the  coup  de  grace  is  to  give  it  a  smart  tap 
on  the  top  of  the  head.  For  this  purpose  a  '*  priest  **  is 
usually  carried.  My  priest  forms  the  lower  end  of  my  small 
fly  net.*  Here  it  is,  its  end  conveniently  protruding  from 
my  creel.  The  fish  is  now  hors  de  combat,  and  we  can 
take  the  fly  out  of  its  mouth  and  drop  the  fish  into  the 
creel. 

I  therefore  open  the  file  (for  sharpening  the  points  of 
flies,  etc.)  contained  in  my  knife,  the  end  of  the  file  being  a 
disgorger  having  a  lancet  face  on  the  lower  side  ;  with  this 
I  lance  the  tongue,  and  by  a  gentle  pressure  of  this  disgorger 
on  the  bend  of  the  hook,  the  gut  being  held  tight  by  the 
forefinger  on  the  file,  I  instantly  free  the  hook  without 
injuring  the  fly  by  any  rough  pressure  on  the  wings,  etc. 

*  For  particulars  as  to  fly-net,  and  the  knife,  see  final  chapter. 


PLATE       II 


Netting  a  Fish, 


I. — NETTING  A  FISH.     THE  FIRST  ATTEMPT 

FAILS       AS        THE        ROD      IS      NOT       HELD 

SUFFICIENTLY   BACK   AND   THE  FISHERMAN 

CANNOT  BRING  HIS  FISH  OVER  HIS  NET. 


4. THIS   TIME   THE    ROD    IS    HELD 

WELL    BACK     AND     THE     FISH 
EASILY   NETTED. 


A  DAY'S  DRY  FLY  FISHING  27 

It  is,  however,  more  or  less  soiled  by  the  slime  from 
the  trout's  mouth,  so  I  cast  it  down-stream  and  pull 
it  through  the  water  once  or  twice,  and  thus  wash  it.  A 
few  flicks  overhead,  and  it  is  once  more  dry  and  fit  for 
work. 

It  will  be  advisable  here  to  say  a  few  words  as  to  the 
correct  method  of  netting  a  fish.  A  fish  should  always  be 
regarded  as  lightly  hooked,  and  the  greatest  caution  should 
be  shown  in  playing  him  until  he  is  safely  inside  your 
landing  net,  the  object  being — first  to  tire  him,  and  then  at 
the  critical  moment,  when  he  has  exhausted  himself,  and 
before  he  has  time  to  recover,  to  draw  him  quietly  into  the 
net.  The  fisherman  should  show  himself  as  little  as  possible, 
and  keep  the  net  down  below  the  surface  of  the  water 
until  the  fish  is  well  over  it. 

I  was  lucky  enough  to  be  able  to  obtain  some  photographs 
of  a  friend  of  mine  when  playing  and  landing  a  trout  on  one 
of  the  delightful  streams  belonging  to  the  Lake  Vyrnwy 
Hotel.*  You  will  notice  in  Figs.  1  and  2,  Plate  II.,  that  he 
is  standing  on  a  large  rock,  and  that  he  has  hooked  a  fish. 
Thinking  he  had  tired  his  fish  out,  he  attempted  to  land  it 
without  drawing  his  rod  sufficiently  back  over  his  shoulder, 
and,  although  it  will  be  seen  that  he  has  knelt  down  and 
extended  his  net  as  far  as  possible,  he  has  failed  in  drawing 
the  fish  within  its  reach,  and  has  only  succeeded  in  frightening 
it  into  another  run  for  freedom.  Luckily  it  was  well  hooked, 
and  my  friend,  by  jumping  from  the  big  rock  on  to  the 
smaller  one  (see  Figs.  3  and  4,  Plate  II.),  and  by  altering  his 
method  and  bringing  his  rod  back  well  over  his  shoulder, 
has  been  able  to  draw  the  fish  within  easy  reach  and  finally 
succeeds  in  landing  it. 

We  will  now  try  the  bank  again  on  the  further  side. 
There  is  still  no  rise,  but  a  fish,  and  a  good  one,  should  be 

*  One  of  the  most  chaiming  and  delightful  fishing  resorts  in  the  world. 


28  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

there.  Take  the  rod  in  your  hand,  keep  as  low  as  you  can, 
and  try  a  cast. 

Don't  be  nervous.  Imagine  that  you  are  casting  your 
fly  on  the  lawn,  and  look  at  the  water  where  you  wish  to 
cast — close  by  that  root  on  the  other  side — and  take  plenty 
of  time.  It  is  not  a  matter  of  life  and  death,  and  if  you  do 
make  a  bad  cast  and  frighten  the  fish  there  are  plenty 
more  just  above.  Steady !  You  are  forgetting  your 
lessons  in  the  excitement  of  the  moment  ;  you  made  your 
forward  cast  too  soon,  before  your  line  had  straightened 
itself  behind  you,  and  the  fly  has  fallen  but  half-way  to  the 
spot  you  wished  to  reach.*  Try  again.  Dry  the  fly  well  and 
let  your  pause  be  longer  after  you  have  switched  the  fly 
back — so — pause.  Now  cast.  Well  done  !  A  good  straight 
line,  and  the  fly  has  fallen  lightly.  Let  your  left  hand  fall 
at  once  on  the  reel,  and  as  the  line  comes  back  with  the 
stream,  reel  up  for  a  bit.  Don't  let  your  hand  leave  the 
reel ;  raise  your  rod  a  little  as  the  line  comes  still  further 
back.  Look  out  !  Strike  !  Steady !  You  have  him ; 
Bring  him  out  from  the  bank  and  down-stream.  Dear! 
dear!  By  dropping  the  point  of  your  rod  you  slackened 
your  line  and  you  have  allowed  him  to  get  into  the  weeds. 
Keep  a  steady  strain  on  the  rod  ;  luckily  he  is  only  in  the 
lower  end  of  the  weeds,  and  we  shall  perhaps  get  him  out 
as  he  is  beginning  to  struggle  !  Steady  and  firm.  There 
he  comes  !  He  is  free  again,  and  exhausted.  Reel  in  with 
your  left  hand — easy  ;  let  him  go  a  little  if  he  makes  a 
rush,  and  then  reel  in  again.  Keep  at  him.  Keep  the 
point  of  your  rod  higher.  That's  better.  The  net  is  all 
ready  ;    bring  him  in  slowly  and  quietly  toward  it. 

There,  I  have  him  for  you,  and  have  given  him  the  coup 
de  grace.  Quite  a  beauty.  Well  done  !  Your  first  fish  and 
eleven   ounces  if  he  is  a  penny- weight.     The  barb  is  in 

*  See  instructions,  page  156. 


A  DAY'S  DRY  FLY  FISHING  29 

his  lip  and  we  do  not  want  a  disgorger.  It  is  soon  out  of 
his  mouth,  and  we  will  now  weigh  him.  Thirteen  ounces. 
Quite  a  good  fish. 

Now  remember  this  axiom  :  "  Never  take  your  eye  off 
the  fly  when  it  is  on  the  water."  In  this  case  you  took 
your  eye  away  from  the  fish  when  it  was  hooked,  in  order  to 
guide  your  hand  to  the  reel,  and  you  dropped  the  point  of 
the  rod  and  slackened  the  line,  and  as  a  consequence  the 
fish  got  into  the  weeds. 

A  Taut  Line 

A  sporting  wish  to  a  person  about  to  fish  is  that  he  may 
have  a  "  taut  "  or  a  "  tight  "  line,  and  this  wish  may  be 
supplemented  by  the  hope  that  he  may  keep  it  so. 

A  tight  line  is  a  necessity  after  any  fish  is  hooked  and 
until  the  fish  is  safely  creeled,  and  for  this  reason — the  barb 
of  the  hook  does  not  in  many  instances  penetrate  the  fleshy 
part  of  the  trout  or  salmon's  mouth,  the  point  being  merely 
fixed  in  the  skin  or  bone  of  its  jaw,  etc.  When  a  fish 
is  hooked  it  naturally  endeavours  to  extricate  the  hook 
which  is  galling  its  mouth  and  depriving  it  of  its  freedom, 
and  for  this  purpose  it  employs  its  tongue  to  displace  the 
fly  when  the  hook  is  not  firmly  in  the  flesh.  So  long  there- 
fore as  a  strain  is  kept  on  the  line — that  is  as  long  as  the 
rod  point  is  kept  well  up  and  the  line  taut  between  it  and 
the  fish,  its  endeavours  to  thus  obtain  its  freedom  are 
frustrated.  It  is  only  when  a  momentary  slackening  of  the 
line  occurs  through  the  rod  point  being  lowered,  or  the 
slack  of  the  line  not  being  taken  in  with  sufiicient  speed  as 
the  fish  runs  towards  the  fisherman,  that  this  opportunity 
occurs.  It  will  be  frequently  noticed,  after  a  fish  is  safely 
netted,  that  the  fly  has  left  the  mouth,  the  reason  being, 
of  course,  that  the  first  slackening  of  the  line  which  has 
occurred  since  it  was  hooked  has  been  after  the  fish  was 


30  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

in  the  net,  the  fish  only  then  being  able  to  extricate  the 
hook.  When  you  dropped  your  rod  point  just  now,  the 
trout,  not  being  able  to  free  its  mouth  of  the  hook,  was  yet 
nearly  successful  in  gaining  its  freedom  by  being  able  to 
get  into  the  weeds.* 

On  page  209  of  Mr.  Halford's  latest  work  he  suggests  that 
when  a  fish  is  hooked  among  weeds  the  line  should  be 
slackened,  in  order  that  the  trout  may  not  be  frightened 
into  the  weeds  surrounding  him,  and  the  illustration  between 
a  trout  and  a  driven  pig  is  then  used.  This  simile  is  not 
a  good  one,  however,  because  while  the  driver  can  afford  to 
slacken  the  line  holding  the  pig — it  being  securely  fastened, 
so  that  if  piggy  goes  the  wrong  way  he  can  be  hauled  back — 
the  fisherman  cannot  afford  to  slacken  his  line,  because 
it  is  not  fastened  to  the  trout,  and,  in  two  cases  out  of  five, 
a  slack  line  will  mean  losing  the  fish. 

In  order  to  keep  these  trout  we  have  caught  and  your 
creel  or  fishing-bag  sweet,  it  is  a  very  good  plan,  if  you  have 
no  dry  hay,  to  gather  a  few  leaves  of  the  wild  thyme  or 
mint  which  you  see  growing  by  the  water-side,  and  put 
them  with  the  trout  ;  it  abates  the  fly  nuisance.  If  you 
wish  to  send  your  fish  to  your  friends,  the  best  packing  is 
something  which  is  dry — dry  hay  for  choice — and  always 
remember  that  the  creel  or  fish-bag  should  invariably  be 
well  washed  and  hung  up  to  dry  every  night  when  the  trout 
are  taken  out. 

The  Rise  and  its  Advantages 
While  you  have  been  creeling  your  fish  you  did  not  see 
that  rise  just  above.     Look  !     Ah  !     You  saw  it  that  time, 
and  now  you  know  what  you  have  to  look  out  for  when  I 
tell  you  to  watch  for  a  rise. 

Now  a  few  words  as  to  the  rise.     It  does  not  follow  that 

*  For  instructions  on  playing  a  fish,  etc.,  see  p.  53. 


A  DAY'S  DRY  FLY  FISHING  31 

the  commotion  caused  by  a  rise  bears  any  relative  proportion 
to  the  fish  making  it,  and  "  the  bigger  the  fish  the  more 
gentle  the  rise  "  is  almost  an  axiom.  The  reasons  for  this 
are  simple.  The  dignified  assurance  with  which  a  big  trout 
rises  at  a  floating  fly  is  due,  not  only  to  his  greater  experi- 
ence, but  to  the  fact  that  he  is  more  often  in  the  deeper  and 
more  slowly  running  portions  of  the  stream ;  and  the 
floating  fly  therefore  comes  into  his  ken  and  towards  his 
station  slowly,  and  permits  of  a  well-regulated  and 
leisurely  approach. 

His  smaller  brother,  on  the  other  hand,  is  more  often 
found  in  the  shallow  and  rapidly  running  portions  of  the 
stream  ;  hence,  not  only  from  the  greater  rapidity  with 
which  a  floating  fly  will  travel,  but  from  the  uncertainty  of 
a  lesser  experience,  and  possibly  from  having  a  keener 
appetite,  he  will  be  galvanised  into  a  more  impulsive  action 
when  taking  the  fly.  This  rush  will  of  necessity  disturb  the 
surface  more,  and  make  it  appear  a  more  important  rise, 
than  will  the  self-controlled  action  of  the  older  or  bigger 
fish. 

See  there  again,  under  the  bank  in  the  deep  water,  about 
thirty  yards  higher  up.  Just  a  dimple,  no  more.  As  there 
are  no  Red  Quill  on  the  water,  we  will  now  go  back  to  the 
Blue  Quill.  We  can  dispense  with  the  butterfly-net, 
which  is  closed  in  three  seconds,  and  placed  in  the  fishing- 
creel  ready  for  use  when  required. 

Fishing  the  Rise 

We  can  now  fish  the  rise,  for  we  know  where  certain 
feeding  fish  are  by  these  rises,  and  also  which  fly  they  are 
apparently  taking.  There  is  no  necessity  to  bring  experi- 
ence and  knowledge  to  bear  in  order  to  determine  the 
probable  position  of  the  trout ;  we  have  only  to  notice  the 
rise,  and  try  for  rising  fish. 


32  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

There's  a  rise  again  by  our  bank,  just  ahead.  You  can 
locate  the  exact  place  of  the  rise,  which  is  three  feet  from 
the  bank,  just  opposite  that  sedge.  If  you  do  not  take  some 
landmark,  your  eye  will  follow  the  ripple  as  it  comes  down 
with  the  stream,  and  you  will  probably  cast  your  fly  below 
the  actual  position  of  the  fish. 

When  a  trout  has  risen,  the  sooner  the  fly  is  placed  above 
him  the  better.  His  appetite  has  just  been  whetted  by  a 
tasty  morsel — he  has  probably  not  yet  turned  to  his  former 
position,  and  the  swirl  of  the  water,  his  own  motion,  and  the 
alteration  of  his  position  will  probably  prevent  a  too 
analytical  scrutiny  of  the  fall  and  the  appearance  of  the  line 
and  fly  you  present  to  him. 

Take  the  rod,  and  when  you  have  found  the  distance 
cast  the  fly  lightly,  just  two  feet  above  the  position  we  have 
marked.  No  !  no  !  What  a  mess  you  have  made  of  it  ! 
You  are  again  forgetting  your  lessons  in  your  eagerness, 
and  have  smashed  your  line  on  the  water,  and  probably  put 
the  fish  down.  In  making  your  downward  cast,  instead  of 
finishing  when  your  forearm  was  level  with  the  elbow  and 
the  rod  inclined  at  an  angle  of  about  twenty-two  degrees 
above  the  horizon,  and  then  lowering  your  rod  as  the 
line  travelled  forward,  you  brought  your  rod  right  down 
almost  to  the  water,  and  consequently  the  direction  of  your 
line  was  downward  instead  of  horizontal.  It's  no  good  trying 
for  that  fish  again  !  Try  for  the  one  in  the  middle  that  has 
just  risen,  and  project  your  line  horizontally,  so  that  your 
fly  will  fall  on  the  water  about  two  feet  above  the  position 
at  which  he  last  rose.  Don't  make  the  back  cast. too  soon  ; 
let  the  fly  get  well  below  the  place  where  the  fish  rose. 
A  trout  will  at  times  let  a  fly  pass,  and  then  turn  and  follow 
it  down-stream  ;  and  even  if  the  fish  does  not  then  take  the 
fly,  he  would  be  scared  by  your  lifting  your  line  too  soon. 
N  ow  lift  your  rod  and  made  another  cast.     That  one  is  better. 


A  DAY'S  COACHING  33 

Now  look  out  !  Strike  !  You  were  too  late,  and  too 
forcible.  It  only  requires  a  small  upward  movement 
of  the  forearm  and  hand  to  hook  the  fish  so  long  as  your 
line  is  straight.  Just  wait  a  minute,  and  give  him  a 
rest  while  you  listen  to  me.  The  strike  depends  a  great 
deal  on  a  person's  temperament.  Some  men  are  always 
slow,  and  others  quick.  An  immediate  strike  will  become 
a  habit  after  a  time,  but  there  is  always  the  personal 
equation  which  dominates  the  rapidity  of  the  individual 
action.  The  health  and  condition  of  the  mind  and  body 
will  always  affect  even  the  most  experienced  fisherman, 
and  an  alert,  nervous  temperament  and  a  straight  line  are 
the  best  factors  to  ensure  success.  You  will  gradually 
become  more  proficient  in  striking  when  you  have  had 
further  practice. 

If  a  strike  is  made  when  the  hand  is  off  the  reel  and  the 
line  is  not  held  in  either  hand,  but  runs  untouched  from  the 
reel  to  the  fly,  then  the  angler  is  said  to  have  struck  from 
the  reel. 

In  dry  fly  fishing  the  art  of  striking  firmly  and  gently  is 
of  the  greatest  importance.  Very  little  weight  can  be  lifted 
by  an  ordinary  trout  rod,  and  the  strength  of  the  end  point 
of  your  gut  cast  will  determine  what  force  may  be  used 
when  striking.  Little  as  may  be  the  pull,  however,  which 
the  gut  can  stand,  it  sometimes  happens  that  the  hold  of 
the  hook  in  the  mouth  of  the  trout  is  considerably  less. 
Consequently,  for  the  man  whose  hand  is  heavy,  striking 
from  the  reel  is  recommended,  always  provided  that  the 
check  of  the  drum  and  its  inertia  is  not  greater  than  the 
force  applied.  With  even  a  slightly  resisting  check, 
the  pull  will  be  sufiicient  to  drive  the  hook  home  into  the 
softer  parts  of  the  mouth  of  the  trout.  The  disadvantage, 
however,  of  striking  from  the  reel  is  that  the  line  is  nearly 
always  lengthened,  and  at  a  moment  when  it   should,    if 


34  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

possible,  be  shortened.  The  trout  rises  at  the  fly  ;  the 
strike  is  made  from  the  reel,  and  the  impetus  and  pull  thus 
given  to  the  reel  are  sufficient  to  unwind  from  one  to  three 
feet,  if  not  more,  of  the  line.  x\s  the  trout  very  frequently 
comes  down-stream  towards  the  angler  the  moment  he  feels 
the  hook,  the  amount  of  line  thus  drawn  ofi  the  reel  is  an 
additional  tax  on  the  capability  of  the  fisherman  to  reel  up 
the  slack  line  sufficiently  fast  to  keep  a  strain  on  his  fish. 

The  breaking  tension  of  a  line  must  be  estimated  solely 
by  the  strength  of  its  weakest  part,  and  the  weakest  portion 
of  a  fisherman's  line  is,  or  should  be,  the  fine  end  point  of 
his  cast.  Now,  although  this  gut  point  may  be  strong 
enough  to  check  the  rush  of  the  fish,  and  although  the  reel, 
once  its  inertia  is  overcome,  will  not  in  itself  present  sufficient 
resistance  to  cause  a  break  when  striking,  yet  it  must  be 
remembered  that,  not  only  has  the  inertia  of  the  drum  of 
the  reel  to  be  overcome,  but  that  the  pawl,  by  which  the 
ratchet  wheel  of  the  drum  is  controlled,  presents  a  far 
greater  resistance  to  the  rotatory  action  of  the  drum  as  the 
latter  starts  to  revolve,  than  it  does  when  once  the  reel  is 
revolving.  The  quicker  the  rotatory  action  of  the  drum 
the  less  is  the  resistance  offered  by  the  pawl  to  its  revolu- 
tions. As  a  consequence  when  a  fisherman  strikes  at  a 
rising  fish  from  the  reel,  he  invariably  brings  at  that  moment 
a  greater  strain  on  the  line  than  that  which  occurs  while 
playing  his  fish,  the  result  frequently  being  that  the  gut 
breaks  ^nd  the  fly  is  left  in  the  mouth  of  the  trout.  This 
parting  of  the  gut,  which  in  a  level  fight  with  the  trout, 
appears  capable  of  resisting  a  far  greater  strain  than  the 
effort  used  in  striking,  is  regarded  as  inexplicable  by  many 
fishermen,  and  it  is  almost  better  therefore,  when  using  the 
modern  reel,  not  to  strike  from  the  reel,  but  to  hold  the 
line  lightly  between  the  finger  and  thumb  of  the  left 
hand. 


A  DAY'S  COACHING  36 

In  order  to  prevent  such  accidents,  to  overcome  the 
inertia  and  to  prevent  the  initial  dead  check  of  the  pawl 
when  striking  from  the  reel,  I  am  applying  for  the  patent 
•rights  of  a  new  make  of  dry  fly  reel,  in  which  the  resistance 
offered  by  inertia  is  minimized,  and  an  entirely  new  method 
adopted  of  regulating  the  rotation  of  the  drum.  This 
mechanism  acts  automatically,  but  can  be  so  regulated  that 
the  tension  of  the  gut  when  striking  from  the  reel  cannot 
reach  the  breaking  point,  while  in  no  degree  delaying  the 
effect  of  the  strike.* 

Keep  Your  Eye  on  the  Fly 

You  must  give  your  absolute  and  undivided  attention  to 
your  floating  fly.  Every  angler  knows  how  many  chances 
of  striking  a  good  fish  have  been  lost  by  a  momentary  lapse 
from  this  vigil.  The  one  rise  of  a  heavy  fish  at  your  fly 
may  be  missed  and  the  fly  rejected  during  the  momentary 
glance  aside  at  the  opalescent  gleam  of  a  kingfisher,  the 
metallic  brilliance  of  a  dragon-fly,  a  cluster  of  wild  roses, 
or  at  any  of  the  thousand  delights  of  the  trout  stream.  It 
is,  however,  only  when  your  fly  is  on  the  water  that  this 
vigilance  is  imperative,  and  the  fisherman  has  practically 
every  other  moment  of  the  long  and  delicious  summer  day 
in  which  to  enjoy  the  loveliness  of  his  surroundings.  No 
patience  is  required  in  observing  this  pleasing  vigilance. 
The  fascinating  expectation  of  an  answering  rise  to  your 
scientific  and  delicate  cast  will  be  as  strong  and  inspiring 
during  the  final  cast  of  your  day's  fishing  as  it  was  during  the 
first  cast.  It  is  this  absorbing  pleasure  of  looking  for  and 
anticipating  immediate  action  during  the  whole  length  of 
an  innings  lasting  practically  from  morning  till  night  which 
constitutes  one  of  the  principal  charms  of  dry  fly  fishing,  and 

*  I  deal  further  with  other  faults  in  the  present  construction  of  reels  when 
discussing  the  spinning  reel  in  the  final  chapter  of  this  book. 


36  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

places  it  so  far  above  wet  fly  fishing  down-stream,  or,  in 
my  opinion,  any  other  sport. 

The  difference  between  the  two  methods,  fishing  up  and 
fishing  down,  may  be  compared  to  the  intellectual  pleasure 
and  anticipation  of  the  sportsman  during  every  moment  of 
a  long  and  arduous  day  in  September  when  shooting  over 
well -trained  pointers  or  setters,  and  the  jaded  indifference 
of  the  gunner  who  strides  along,  with  his  principal  sense, 
sight — after  the  first  few  hours — used  solely  to  keep  him  in 
line  and  out  of  ditches,  etc.,  and  who  is  suddenly  aroused 
and  jerked  back  to  the  realities  of  life  by  the  nerve-jarring 
rush  of  the  birds  he  has  chanced  to  kick  up. 

A  Fighting  Fish 
Now  watch  me  carefully  once  more.  The  fish  you  put 
down  are  again  rising,  and  I  am  going  to  try  for  the  big 
fellow  right  under  the  bank.  He  has  shifted  in  quite  close, 
so  I  shall  hit  that  grass  above  him  with  my  fly,  and  let  it  fall 
into  the  water  and  float  down  quite  close  to  the  edge.  See, 
I  have  done  so,  and  there  it  comes,  now  sailing  outward 
with  a  little  sweep,  and  now  sidling  quite  close  in  to  the  bank 
and  almost  stationary.  There  !  what  did  I  tell  you  ?  I 
have  him,  and  this  time  I  am  into  a  good  fish.  You  noticed 
how  I  dropped  the  point  of  my  rod  when  he  jumped  ?  There 
he  goes  again.  What  a  fighter  !  Now  he  is  going  for  those 
weeds  down-stream.  Observe  the  tug  as  I  check  him. 
He  has  the  stream  to  help  him,  but  I  must  hold  him  up, 
for  if  he  gets  into  the  weeds  we  shall  lose  him  for  a  certainty. 
I  have  beaten  him,  I  think.  No,  not  I.  Look  how  he  clears 
the  water  and  goes  again  to  the  bank.  He's  all  right 
there,  for  you  can  see  that  the  bottom  is  gravel  and  there 
are  no  weeds  or  snags.  Now  to  get  in  a  little  line.  Steady 
does  it.  No,  he  is  off  again  down  to  the  weeds.  How  the 
reel  screams  !   and  the  rod — look  at  it — bent  nearly  double. 


A  DAY'S  COACHING  S7 

I  have  still  all  my  work  to  do  to  keep  him  from  those  weeds. 
Ah  !  he  is  beaten  at  last,  and  now  I  can  get  some  of  the 
line  in  on  the  reel  as  I  follow  him  down-stream.  A  little 
more — that's  it ;  now  take  this  landing-net,  crouch  down, 
as  much  out  of  sight  as  you  can,  and  hold  the  net  slanting 
well  in  the  water,  between  the  trout  and  myself.  I  shall 
draw  him  over  and  into  it,  and  when  I  say  "  Lift,"  do  so 
with  both  hands.  "  Lift  !  "  Well  done  !  Now  bring  him 
up  the  bank,  and  let's  have  a  look  at  him.  What  a  beauty  ! 
Are  not  these  crimson  spots  lovely  ?  I  smite  him  well  back 
on  the  head  with  my  priest  again.  Notice  how  well  this  Blue 
Quill  had  him.  We  will  weigh  him  ;  and  see,  he  is  just  over 
one-and-a-half  pounds,  and  in  good  condition.  We  will 
put  him  with  the  others,  but  first  add  a  few  more  leaves  of 
thyme  as  a  fitting  tribute  to  his  prowess,  and  while  we  fill 
our  pipes  I  will  give  you  a  hint  as  to  your  best  action  when 
dealing  with  a  jumping  fish.  Before  doing  so  I  will  just 
drift  the  Blue  Quill  in  the  water  to  wash  off  the  slime,  and 
then  press  it  with  my  handkerchief  and  let  it  dry. 

A  Jumping  Fish 

The  reason  I  twice  lowered  the  point  of  my  rod  when  the 
fish  jumped  was  in  order  to  slacken  the  line. 

You  will  often  see  a  good  fighting  trout  throw  himself 
out  of  the  water  in  his  efforts  to  escape.  Frequently  this 
is  a  deliberate  attempt  to  break  the  line  by  a  blow  of  his 
tail.  The  general  practice  is  to  drop  the  point  of  the 
rod  instantly,  but  I  consider  that  this  is  not  always  the 
soundest  policy.  The  action  of  the  rod  must  be  influenced 
by  the  direction  in  which  a  fish  is  moving  when  he  breaks 
water.  If  the  fish  springs  straight  up  in  the  air,  or  in  any 
direction  away  from  you,  then  lower  your  rod  immediately. 
If,  however,  as  sometimes  happens  (it  has  to  me  on  several 
occasions),  the  fish  is  heading  more  or  less  toward  you  at 


38  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

the  time  he  leaves  the  water,  you  should  continue  to  keep 
the  line  fairly  taut,  as  this  slight  strain  will  keep  the  head 
of  the  fish  towards  you  and  prevent  his  tail  coming  forward 
and  striking  against  your  line  ;  it  will  also  prevent  the 
fly  loosening  in  his  mouth.  If  ever  a  delicate  hold  on  the 
rod  be  required,  it  is  at  this  moment. 

In  Plate  III.,  a  taut  line  will  keep  his  head  toward  you,  the 
hook  fast  in  his  mouth,  and  the  line  clear  of  his  tail. 

In  Plate  IV.,  by  slackening  the  line  at  once,  the  fish 
will  get  no  purchase  if  his  tail  does  strike  the  line,  while 
the  weight  of  the  line  will  keep  the  hook  embedded  in  his 
mouth  as  the  fish  moves  away  from  you. 

In  both  cases  just  now,  as  you  could  see,  the  trout  was 
heading  away  from  me  and  up-stream,  so  I  promptly 
lowered  my  rod  and  kept  my  line  clear  of  his  tail.  The 
lowering  of  the  point  of  the  rod  when  the  fish  is  heading 
as  in  Plate  III.,  may  be  just  as  dangerous  as  not  lowering 
the  point  when  the  fish  is  in  such  a  position  as  Plate  IV., 
and  for  the  following  reason  :  Lowering  the  rod  slackens 
the  line  and  releases  the  strain  on  the  hook — a  most  risky 
proceeding,  for  if  the  fish  happens  to  be  lightly  hooked 
on  some  bony  portion  of  the  mouth,  the  toothed  tongue  of 
the  trout,  which  is  constantly  endeavouring  to  shift  the 
fly  when  in  its  mouth,  will  at  once  get  the  opportunity  it 
requires,  and  the  fly  will  be  rubbed  or  torn  away  from  its 
hold.  This  latter  position,  however,  is  the  more  common 
one,  and  always  lowering  the  rod  is  better  than  always 
keeping  it  up.  The  best  advice  I  can  give  is  always  to  lower 
the  point  when  there  is  a  probability  of  the  fish  striking  the 
line  with  his  tail  ;  but  it  must  be  evident  that  if  the  trout, 
as  in  Plate  III.,  is  likely  to  throw  a  somersault  so  as  to 
bring  its  tail  down  between  its  head  and  the  fisherman, 
this  somersault  will  be  all  the  more  easily  executed  if  the 
line  is  slackened. 


PLATE 


A     JUMPING     FISH. 

•  »_> 

"9^ 

m.\ 

i^ 

?--ai 

BHHI^BHiBiliMkflHMli///              .^^^^B^fel^i&N 

r 

-^^^^ 

*^^^~^^^^^^ 

4 

Don't  Lower  the  Point  of  Rod,  but  keep  a  very  Delicate  pull  on  the  Fish. 

Copyright.] 


PLATE  IV 


A     JUMPING     FISH. 


Drop   Point   of   Rod. 


Copyright.] 


A  DAY'S  COACHING  39 

By  this  time  the  fly  is  dry,  and  we  will  just  touch  it  with 
a  little  oil.  We  must  go  up-stream  a  bit,  as  our  big  fight 
has  put  down  the  fish  here  for  a  time.  There,  you  saw  the 
rise.  A  feeding  fish  just  ahead  and  close  to  our  own  bank! 
Get  well  down  to  the  water  and  use  a  shorter  line,  and  you 
should  get  him.  That's  low  enough.  Remember  the  grass 
and  bushes  behind  you  ;  make  certain  to  throw  your  fly 
well  above  the  fish,  and  don't  lift  your  fly  too  soon  in  your 
next  cast ;  let  it  float  well  down  behind  the  fish  before  you 
make  your  back  cast.  Yes,  that's  right ;  you  threw  your 
fly  well.  With  regard  to  getting  your  line  in,  you  should 
either  gather  in  your  line  with  your  left  hand  as  it  comes 
back  to  you  on  the  water  or  else  reel  it  in,  keeping  the 
point  of  the  rod  down  the  whole  time.  It  really  means 
this — that  if  you  are  casting  to  a  special  rising  fish  it  is  not 
necessary  to  let  your  fly  come  down  more  than  six  or 
eight  feet  below  the  spot  at  which  it  rises,  and  consequently 
you  can  take  up  all  the  line  that  is  required  in  one  outward 
movement  of  the  left  hand,  then  make  your  cast  over  again 
at  the  same  fish. 

When  you  are  fishing  the  stream  use  only  a  moderate 
length  of  line  ;  keep  well  out  of  sight  of  any  fish  which  may 
be  lying  within  the  radius  of  your  cast,  and  do  not  try  for  a 
fish  at  a  distance  before  searching  the  intermediate  water. 
Let  your  fly  float  down  stream  for  about  ten  feet  for  each 
cast,  for  this  will  not  necessitate  your  reeling  up.  Should 
you,  however,  decide  to  make  longer  casts,  and  let  your 
line  float  on  the  water  for  a  longer  time,  reel  up  your  line 
at  first,  and  then  gather  in  with  the  left  hand  as  before, 
ere  you  make  your  fresh  cast. 

Now  cast  again  to  the  same  fish  ;  don't  take  your  eye  off 
the  fly,  keep  your  rod  point  down,  and  gather  in  as  the 
fly  comes  back  towards  you.  Now  the  fly  has  passed  the 
spot  where  the  trout  rose,  and  as  the  latter  may  follow  the 


40  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

fly  down-stream,  keep  it  on  the  water.  Don't  take  your 
eye  off  the  fly.  Strike  !  You  have  him  !  Reel  up  and 
bring  him  down,  and  keep  him  well  away  from  the  bank 
at  your  feet ;  don't  let  him  come  in  under  you  if  you  can 
help  it.  He's  a  small  fish,  but  plucky.  Well  done  !  Here's 
the  landing-net ;  you  must  net  him  yourself.  No,  your 
line  is  too  long  to  do  so  yet ;  reel  up  a  little  more  line  first 
— not  too  much,  or  you  will  be  unable  to  bring  your  rod 
backward  over  your  shoulder.*  Now  bring  your  rod  and 
arm  vertically  backward  over  your  shoulder  and  draw  the 
fish  toward  the  net ;  lift  your  net  and  you  have  him.  Well 
done  again  :  but,  you  see,  as  he  is  only  just  over  the  limit, 
and  as  it  is  always  better  to  err  on  the  right  than  on  the 
wrong  side,  I  think  we  will  put  him  back,  and  he  will  have 
a  chance  to  grow  into  a  bigger  fish. 

Undersized  Fish 

When  a  rule  as  to  the  size  and  weight  of  a  creelable  fish 
is  enjoined  on  any  water,  I  think  most  fishermen  consider 
it  better  to  return  to  the  water  any  fish  the  size  or  weight 
of  which  questionably  approaches  this  limit. 

The  keeping  of  undersized  fish  when  they  have  been 
injured  is,  and  must  continue  to  remain,  a  very  delicate 
problem.  Whatever  may  be  the  rules  governing  any  water, 
a  trout  foul  hooked  in  the  eye  for  instance,  should  not 
in  my  opinion  be  returned  to  the  water. 

Handling  a  Trout 

If  proper  care  be  used  while  extracting  the  hook  from  the 
mouth  of  undersized  trout,  no  injury  should  be  inflicted 
from  which  the  fish  will  not  speedily  recover  if  returned  at 
once  to  the  water.  The  injury  done  to  fish  by  the  handling 
they   undergo   before   they   are   returned    to    the    water, 

*  See  page  27,  re  netting. 


A  DAY'S  COACHING  41 

especially  in  those  waters  where  trout  are  plentiful,  and 
where  the  fisherman  is  certain  to  have  to  return  a  good 
number,  may  be  minimized  if  a  white  cotton  glove  be  worn 
on  the  left  hand,  and  if  before  the  fish  is  handled  this  glove 
is  wetted — holding  the  hand  under  the  net  when  it  is  with- 
drawn from  the  water  is  the  most  convenient  method. 
By  adopting  this  precaution  the  skin  temperature  of  the 
hand  is  immediately  lowered,  and  the — in  my  opinion — 
disastrous  effects  of  scalding  the  mucus  off  the  trout, 
mentioned  on  page  126  of  this  book,  are  avoided. 

When  fishing,  if  it  be  seen  that  the  size  of  a  fish  hooked  is 
below  that  which  the  fisherman  wishes  to  retain,  it  is  a 
good  plan  to  relax  the  pull  of  the  rod  and  line  altogether, 
and  in  four  cases  out  of  five  it  will  be  found  that  the  fish 
will  be  able  to  quickly  free  itself  from  the  hook.  The 
advantages  of  such  a  method  are — first,  that  one  avoids 
handling  and  hurting  this  delicate  fish, — secondly,  it  is  a 
cleaner  and  better  method  of  getting  rid  of  an  undersized 
trout — and  in  the  third  place,  the  fly  is  less  likely  to  be 
damaged  than  when  it  is  liberated  by  the  hand. 

The  above  advice  emphasizes  the  danger  of  relaxing  the 
line  when  the  escape  of  the  trout  is  not  desired.  A  taut 
line  should  be  the  object  aimed  at  by  all  fishermen  after  the 
strike  is  made. 

Takable  Trout 

Stream  trout,  in  my  opinion,  should  not  be  killed  under 
the  age  of  three  years. 

The  increase  in  the  weight  and  length  of  trout  varies 
considerably,  a  four-year-old  trout  on  the  upper  waters  of 
the  Dart  being  no  larger  than  a  small-sized  two-year-old 
fish  on  the  Itchen.  The  principal  advantages  or  dis- 
advantages of  each  season  on  the  average  growth  of  each 
year's  stock  of  trout  should  be  considered,   and  the  limit 


42  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

imposed  on  any  water  should  vary  in  accordance  with  the 
condition  of  its  three-year-old  fish.  The  limit  should  not, 
I  think,  be  as  regards  weight  or  size,  but  rather  as  regards  the 
age  of  the  fish,  either  a  three-year-old  or  a  four- year-old  fish 
being  creelable,  as  the  case  may  be.  Thus,  if  the  three-year- 
old  fish  of  a  certain  year  ran  from  |  lb.  to  well  over  1  lb. — the 
limit  should  be  f  lb.,  the  limit  to  be  determined  by  the 
length.     It  should  not  be  necessary  to  weigh  such  fish. 

When  a  weight  limit  is  enforced,  however,  a  small  muslin 
bag  should  be  carried,  into  which,  after  it  has  been  wetted, 
the  trout  can  be  dropped,  and  then  weighed  on  a  pocket 
spring  balance,  but  even  this  method  causes  prejudicial 
handling  and  a  longer  detention  from  the  water.  If  then, 
the  owners  of  the  water,  or  the  Committee  of  the  Fishing 
Club,  would  give  a  few  minutes'  consideration  to  the  probable 
length  attained  by  their  three-year-old  fish  each  year,  and 
select  a  size  covering  the  greater  number  of  such  three-year- 
old  fish,  they  would,  while  preventing  the  two-year-old  fish 
from  being  killed,  give  themselves,  or  their  friends,  or 
members,  better  sport — prevent  the  appearance  of  so  many 
discoloured  fish,  and  thin  out  the  fish  of  three  years'  growth 
whose  presence  is  least  desired,  i.e.,  those  fish  whose  growth 
shows  them  to  be  of  weaker  character  than  the  rest  of  their 
own  year's  hatch. 

Some  time  ago,  when  designing,  the  first  "  Fred.  G. 
Shaw"  rod — I  instructed  Messrs.  Hardy  Bros,  to  make  the 
lower  whippings  of  the  butt-joint  exactly  one  inch  apart, 
and  to  number  them  from  one  upward  to  fifteen.  If  then 
the  limit  be  one  of  size,  the  fish — directly  it  is  lifted  from 
the  water — can  be  held  up  by  the  wetted,  gloved  hand,  to 
the  marking  on  the  rod,  and  if  found  to  be  short  of  the  limit 
can  be  returned  to  the  water  without  delay. 

Unless  great  care  in  the  handling  of  a  |  lb.  trout  be 
observed,  it  is  far  better,  I  consider,  that  it  should  be  creeled 


A  DAY'S  COACHING  43 

than  that  it  should  be  returned,  for  the  injury  to  such  a  fish 
which  follows  scalding  from  injudicious  handling,  tends  to 
create  a  black  or  discoloured  fish,  and  predisposes  the  trout 
to  the  attacks  of  fungus,  see  page  124. 

Let  me  impress  upon  the  novice  that  he  should  have 
due  consideration  for  the  rights  of  the  owners,  his  fellow- 
fishermen,  the  trout,  and  the  stream.  Give  them  all  a 
chance.  Never  take  undersized  trout  ;  never  make  a 
boast  about  big  takes  of  trout.  Never  be  discouraged.  If 
the  fish  are  small,  put  on  the  finest  tackle.  Every  day  on 
which  you  fish  you  will  most  certainly  add  to  your  knowledge 
and  skill.  Although  the  fish  may  be  untakable  and  your 
luck  villainous,  your  fortune  will  turn.  The  apparently 
worst  day  may  before  it  closes  produce  the  biggest  fish. 
You  will  find  as  your  skill  increases  that  the  pleasure  of 
netting  a  fish  you  have  beaten  is  much  greater  than  killing 
it  and  carrying  it  home. 

The  Broken  Hook 

Now  try  that  rise  on  the  other  side.  Keep  well  down 
and  see  that  your  fly  is  clean  and  dry  before  casting. 
Why,  you  have  risen  two  fish  and  touched  them  both  ! 
Allow  me  to  look  at  that  fly.  Ah  !  I  thought  so.  Now  feel 
the  point  of  your  hook,  and  you  will  find  that  it  has  become 
blunted,  perhaps  from  having  been  carelessly  broken  out 
of  the  last  fish,  or  maybe  from  catching  it  in  that  bough  a 
minute  ago. 

The  fine  splitting  file  on  the  disgorger  in  my  knife  now 
becomes  useful.  Two  or  three  applications  of  the  file  to 
the  point  of  the  hook,  and  it  has  as  fine  a  needle  point  as 
ever.  It  does  not  take  more  than  five  seconds  to  sharpen 
the  point  of  a  hook.  It  renews  the  usefulness  of  the  fly, 
and  saves  time  ;  therefore,  always  carry  a  file,  as  it  may 
be    that  later   in   the   day  the  hook  of  your  last    taking 


44  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

fly  has  become  blunted,  and  if  you  have  no  file  you  will 
most  likely  lose  your  fish  and  spoil  the  rest  of  your  day's 
sport. 

Now  fish  up  that  run,  beginning  where  you  saw  the  rise 
in  the  pool  below  it.  Cast  your  fly  just  where  the  rush  of 
the  stream  begins  to  lessen,  and  let  it  float  well  down. 
Strike.  Well  done  !  Bring  the  fish  down  into  the  pool, 
so  as  not  to  frighten  the  others  in  the  stream  above.  Keep 
him  out  of  that  dark  deep  bend,  where  the  blackberry- 
bushes  dip  into  the  stream.  That's  right  :  don't  touch 
your  net  until  you  have  beaten  him.  Shorten  your  line  a 
bit  more,  and  now  use  your  net ;  stoop  down  as  much  as  you 
can,  so  as  to  keep  out  of  sight,  not  only  of  the  fish  on  your 
line,  but  of  others  which  may  have  followed  him  down. 
Well  done  !  Give  me  the  fish  and  dry  your  fly  again,  and 
try  the  run  right  up  from  where  you  caught  your  last. 
Never  mind  looking  for  a  rise  :  there  are  sure  to  be  fish 
there.  Well  done  again  !  and  a  good  one,  but  you  struck 
with  your  arm  and  shoulder,  and  have  broken  your  cast. 
Now  quickly  :  we  must  not  lose  time  while  the  fish  are 
taking  so  freely.  Let  me  see  your  cast.  Yes,  you  have 
broken  off  the  lower  point,  so  I  place  about  two  inches  of 
the  end  of  the  cast  in  my  mouth  to  soften.  You  see  this 
cast-box  ;  it  has  some  slightly  moist  white  flannel  in  one 
compartment,  in  which  have  been  lying  a  spare  cast,  and 
some  fine  points.  I  take  out  a  point,  look  at  it  with  my 
watchmaker's  glass  in  my  eye.  Yes,  it  is  all  right — smooth 
and  free  from  glints.  So  I  pass  it  through  my  lips,  close  the 
box  again,  and,  taking  the  point  I  have  selected,  make  an 
overhand  knot  in  the  extreme  end.  I  take  the  broken 
end  out  of  my  mouth,  run  it  through  the  overhand  knot, 
and  make  another  knot  of  the  same  kind  in  the  end  of  it, 
only  enclosing  the  gut  point  in  this   knot*     I   draw  both 

*  See  Diagram  7,  p.   121. 


A  DAY'S  COACHING  45 

overhand  knots  firmly  but  completely  taut.  Each  knot 
now  encloses  the  gut  which  has  formed  the  other  knot.  I 
draw  the  two  knots  firmly  together  by  pulling  the  cast  and 
the  point,  and,  taking  out  my  knife,  I  open  the  scissors  and 
snip  off  each  end  fairly  close.  Place  this  quite  new  Blue 
Quill,  which  I  have  taken  out  of  my  fly-box,  on  the  end  of 
the  point,  and  oil  it  carefully. 

The   Fly-Retriever 

Now  continue  to  fish  the  run  right  up  beyond  the 
ripple  at  its  head.  Stop  !  You  have  caught  your  fly  in 
these  overhanging  branches.  Do  not  attempt  to  jerk  or 
forcibly  pull  it  clear.  Drag  it  very  gently  and  steadily 
toward  you.  In  most  cases  a  fly  will  come  clear  by  a  very 
gentle  pull,  but  if  it  catches  while  thus  pulling  it,  it  may  be 
only  in  a  leaf,  therefore  point  your  rod  directly  towards  it 
and  increase  the  strength  of  the  pull.  If  it  still  refuses  to 
budge,  and  you  can  reach  the  twig  with  the  point  of  the  rod, 
if  you  have  no  fly-retriever  with  you,  reel  right  up  until  the 
point  of  the  rod  touches  the  fly,  and  then  gently  twist  the 
rod  round  to  the  right  or  left.  This  very  frequently  liberates 
the  fly,  but  force  must  not  be  used.  If  you  cannot  reach  the 
fly,  pull  on  the  line,  still  pointing  the  rod  towards  the  fly, 
until  the  fly  either  tears  itself  away  or  the  weakest  portion 
of  your  gut  parts.  You  may  probably  lose  your  fly,  but  you 
have  no  alternative.  It  is  inadvisable  to  climb  a  tree  in 
waders.  They  suffer  at  times,  and  a  particularly  cold  and 
unpleasant  reminder  of  this  fact  will  follow  your  re-entering 
the  water. 

I  have  however  in  my  creel  a  most  excellent  fly-retriever 
designed  by  one  of  my  clients,  the  protection  for  which  I 
have  obtained.  I  place  this  on  the  end  of  my  rod,  and  fix 
it  above  the  twig  on  which  the  fly  has  caught.  A  slight 
pull  on  the  line  attached   to  this    fly-retriever   and    your 


46  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

fly  comes    fluttering   down   on   the  twig  on  which  it  was 
held.* 

A  Big  Fish. 

Start  again  at  the  bottom  of  the  run.  Ah,  I  thought 
so  !  You  are  into  a  big  one  this  time.  Reel  up  !  reel  up  ! 
Walk  back,  man  !  Keep  your  point  up  and  line  taut, 
or  you  will  lose  him.  Keep  him  out  of  the  dark  corner 
*'  an  you  love  me."  Steady  !  drop  your  point  if  he  leaves 
the  water  as  he  goes  up-stream  again.  There  !  you  have 
him  at  last,  after  a  splendid  fight.  Why,  you  have  beaten 
my  fish.  Let  us  see  !  One  pound  nine  ounces,  and  in  every 
respect  a  beauty.  If  you  take  my  advice  you  will  send 
him  up  to  London  by  this  night's  train  to  your  taxidermist. 
Your  first  big  fish  is  always  remembered  with  the  greatest 
pleasure,  and,  if  set  up,  is  a  trophy  of  which  you  will  always 
be  proud. 


*  For  further  particulars  of  this  fly-retriever,  see  the  final  chapter  of  this  book. 


CHAPTER  III 
A  DAY'S  FISHING  {continued). 

The  Luncheon  Hour — A  consideration  of  the  effectiveness  of  the  dry 
fly — Rising  water  and  its  effect  on  trout — ^Method  of  manipulating 
the  hne — Hand-Uning — ^Water  weeds  and  Trout — The  left  hand  and 
the  reel — Something  to  remember — ^The  selection  of  the  fly. 

As  the  rise  has  now  stopped  and  the  sun  is  very  hot,  we 
may  as  well  take  our  luncheon  in  the  grateful  shade  of  this 
willow,  and  resume  our  chat  as  regards  dry  fly  fishing. 

After  fishing  experiences  embracing  neariy  every  portion 
of  both  hemispheres,  I  am  confident  that  at  certain  times 
and  seasons  the  dry  fly  can  be  used  with  success  on  any 
water  which  harbours  a  fish  whose  food  partly  consists  of 
any  of  the  forms  of  the  water  insect  which  attams,  as  one 
stage  of  its  existence,  a  flying  state,  and  hence  the  importance 
of  learning  how  to  use  a  dry  fly.  Even  amid  the  brawling 
cascades  of  a  Norwegian  foss  there  will  be  found  places  where 
the  dry  fly  is  deadly.  I  remember  on  one  such  stream, 
which  tumbles  some  1,000  feet  down  the  side  of  the  precipices 
enclosing  Vadheim,  taking  over  twenty  good  trout  with  a 
single  dry  fly,  as  I  clambered  up  from  pool  to  pool  to  reach 
the  lake  from  which  the  stream  issues.  I  have  used  the 
dry  fly  for  perch  in  Australia  ;  for  the  "  yellow  fish  "  (the 
Mahseer)  of  South  Africa  ;  for  trout  in  the  Scottish  lakes 
and  their  brawling  tributaries  ;  on  the  Swedish  lakes  and 
rivers  ;  in  Germany  on  the  lovely  Wutach  ;  in  the  Black 
Forest  and  in  the  Austrian  Tyrol ;  in  the  chalk  streams  of 
Normandy ;     on    Lake    Superior,    amid    the    Rockies,    in 

47 


48  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

Vancouver  Island,  etc.,  and  my  experience  tells  me  that 
in  all  trout  streams  wherever  water  insects  assume  a  flying 
condition  the  dry  fly  can,  at  certain  times  and  in  certain 
places,  be  used  with  the  greatest  success.  I  don't  believe 
that  any  trout  stream  can  be  regarded  solely  as  a  wet  fly 
stream. 

As  an  instance  of  this,  I  remember  that,  during  a  summer 
now  long  past,  several  well-known  wet  fly  fishermen,  stopping 
at  an  hotel  in  Wales,  had  for  some  weeks  given  up  all 
attempts  to  catch  trout,  and,  happening  to  arrive  at  the 
time,  I  converted  every  fisherman  there  to  the  usefulness 
of  the  dry  fly  method  by  killing  fourteen  fine  fish  on  my  first 
afternoon,  and  seventeen  as  good  fish  the  following  day. 

On  the  lovely  little  Sid,  in  Devonshire,  just  as  on  the 
waters  of  the  Deveron,  on  the  Otter  as  on  the  waters  of  the 
Welsh  Wye,  on  the  Lambourne  as  on  the  waters  of  the 
Coquet,  or  the  Eden,  or  the  Derbyshire  Wye,  the  dry  fly 
will  be  as  effective  in  June,  July,  and  August  as  is  the  wet 
fly  in  March  and  April.  It  is  on  the  correct  choice  of  either 
method  that  the  greatest  success  depends.  When  the  trout 
are  being  taken  freely  by  the  dry  fly  method,  the  wet  fly 
fishermen  would  be  well  advised  to  adopt  that  method,  and 
vice  versa.  For  dead  or  perfectly  smooth  water,  especially 
later  in  the  year,  the  dry  fly  method  of  fishing  is  without 
doubt  the  better. 

But  if  sport  is  wanted,  and  opportunities  of  fishing  are 
few,  it  would  be  a  mistake  for  the  dry  fly  man  to  reel  up  his 
line  when  a  temporary  thickness  of  the  water  shuts  out  his 
fly  from  the  ken  of  the  fish,  and  so  prevents  his  fishing  with 
a  dry  fly.  If  the  rain  has  been  a  warm  one  the  trout  are 
sure  to  be  feeding  toward  the  bottom  of  the  stream,  and 
probably  on  drifting  matter,  such  as  the  drowned  sub-imago, 
etc.  It  is  much  wiser,  therefore,  for  the  angler  to  put  on  a 
wet  fly  cast,  and,  sinking  his  flies  well  below  the  surface. 


PLATE    V. 


xMy  Dog  and  My  Fish. 

A  morning's  catch  on  the  test. 


A  DAY'S  FISHING  4» 

to  fish  his  way  down-stream  ;  he  is  very  likely  to  pick  up 
some  good  fish,  instead  of  losing  half,  or  perhaps  more,  of 
his  precious  day's  fishing. 

Rising  Water  and  Non-Rising  Fish 

Both  with  salmon  and  trout  fishing  it  is  well  to  remember 
that  fish  will  cease  to  rise  at  a  fly  or  to  take  the  lure  when 
the  water  is  rising  to  any  appreciable  extent.  This  fact 
will  be  particularly  noticeable  when  dry  fly  fishing  for 
trout,  and  the  first  intimation  that  the  fisherman  receives 
as  to  the  rise  in  the  river  will  be  that  the  fish  themselves 
cease  to  rise.  I  have  noticed  at  times  that  for  the  first  few 
minutes  of  a  rise  in  the  water  of  a  stream  the  fish  seem  to 
be  more  lively,  but  as  the  water  continues  to  increase  in 
volume  they  will  invariably  cease  rising.  I  have  frequently, 
however,  evaded  the  misfortune  of  a  temporary  rise  of 
water  on  one  stream  by  motoring  down  stream,  or  to  some 
other  water  not  thus  affected.  Fishing  not  long  since  on 
the  Touche  in  France,  which  runs  into  the  sea  at  Trouville, 
I  noticed  about  three  o'clock  that  the  fish  suddenly  ceased 
to  rise.  I  then  looked  carefully  at  the  water,  and  saw 
that  it  was  rising  owing  to  a  thunderstorm  which  had  taken 
place  up  the  valley  in  which  I  was  fishing.  My  host  having 
his  motor  car  at  hand,  on  my  recommendation  we  ceased 
fishing  and  motored  down  some  forty  miles  nearer  to 
Trouville,  where  we  continued  to  fish  until  dinner  time  with 
great  success,  the  rise  in  the  water  not  having  by  that  time 
reached  us. 

Some  rivers  in  the  Northern  Island  of  New  Zealand 
run  through  argillaceous  or  calcareous  country,  and  when 
rain  occurs  these  rivers  become  discoloured,  and  fishing  is 
rendered  impracticable.  It  is  quite  possible  to  continue 
fishing  by  going  a  few  miles  away  to  rivers  whose  course 
runs  through  a  different  geological  formation. 


60  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

One  of  the  characteristic  signs  of  fish  ceasing  to  rise  or 
coming  on  the  rise  under  normal  conditions,  is  that  one  or 
two  will  throw  themselves  out  of  the  water.  I  have  never 
solved  the  question  as  to  why  they  do  this,  but  when  the 
fish  have  not  been  rising  and  I  suddenly  see  a  medium  sized 
fish  throw  itself  out  of  the  water,  I  expect,  and  nearly  always 
find,  that  a  rise  is  about  to  commence.  On  the  contrary, 
if,  during  a  good  rise,  one  or  two  fish  are  seen  to  throw 
themselves  out  of  the  water,  it  is  nearly  certain  that  the 
rise  will  soon  cease. 

Manipulating  and  Shooting  the  Line 

As  you  have  already  experienced  difficulty  in  managing 
your  slack  line,  and  in  manipulating  your  rod  and  line  after 
the  fish  is  hooked,  I  will  utilize  our  luncheon  hour  by  giving 
you  a  few  hints  on  this  subject. 

There  are  at  least  three  sound  and  convenient  methods  of 
gathering  in  the  slack  line  as  it  comes  back  towards  the 
fisherman  when  fishing  out  a  dry  fly  cast  up-stream. 

When  the  fly  is  only  allowed  to  travel  some  eight  or  nine 
feet  down-stream  after  it  has  alighted  on  the  water,  the  rod 
should  not  be  raised,  but  as  the  current  brings  the  line  back, 
and  as  the  line  is  beginning  to  hang  almost  vertically  from 
the  rod  point  to  the  water,  the  left  hand  thumb  or  fore- 
finger should  gather  in  this  slack  line  by  an  outward  move- 
ment from  the  rod,  the  line  being  allowed  to  slip  smoothly 
round  the  thumb  or  forefinger  until  the  left  arm  is  extended 
outward  from  the  side.  Should  the  back  cast  then  require 
to  be  made  the  line  should  be  nipped  between  the  finger  and 
thumb  and  held  firmly,  and  the  back  and  forward  cast 
should  then  be  made,  but  as  the  rod  straightens  at  the  end 
of  the  forward  and  downward  action,  the  finger  and  thumb 
must  release  the  line,  which  will  then,  if  the  cast  be  perfectly 
made,  be  pulled  out  through  the  rings   by  the  forward 


A  DAY'S  FISHING  61 

impetus  of  the  line.  This  forward  extension  of  the  gathered 
in  slack  line  is  known  as  "  shooting."  It  is  evident  that 
should  a  fish  rise  at  the  fly  while  the  line  is  being  thus  taken 
in,  the  finger  and  thumb  would  nip  the  line  as  the  strike 
is  made.  The  rod  having  been  held  low  and  the  slack  line 
taken  in  by  the  hand,  the  tension  will  come  on  the  hook 
before  the  rod  is  more  than  seventy  degrees  above  the 
horizon,  and  if  the  fish  is  struck  this  backward  action  of  the 
rod  is  continued  and  absorbs  the  slack  line,  as  it  is  then 
released  by  the  finger  and  thumb  of  the  left  hand,  which 
latter  hand,  seeking  the  reel,  commences  to  reel  in  the  line 
as  the  fish  comes  down-stream. 

If  the  strike  be  properly  made  and  misses  the  fish,  the 
line  will  extend  itself  backward  as  in  the  back  cast,  and  should 
be  brought  forward  again  as  in  the  forward  cast,  and  the 
slack  line — which  has  been  held  by  the  finger  and  thumb — 
is  released  and  allowed  to  shoot. 

The  second  method,  when  the  fly  has  to  float  from  ten  to 
twenty  or  more  feet  down-stream,  is  also  to  keep  the  rod 
point  down,  but  to  take  up  the  slack  line  between  the  rod 
point  and  the  water  by  using  the  reel .  It  must  be  evident  that 
the  slack  can  thus  be  absorbed  by  the  reel  until  the  fly  has 
only  a  few  feet  more  to  float  down-stream,  when  the  first 
method  as  above  described  can  be  adopted. 

The  third  manner,  used  when  fishing  out  a  short  cast  with 
a  short  length  of  line,  is  to  raise  the  rod  point  as  the  line 
comes  back,  and  when  the  back  cast  has  to  be  made,  the 
rod  point  is  first  lowered  and  the  line  is  gathered  in  by  the 
hand  and  the  backward  and  forward  cast  is  then  made,  the 
finger  and  thumb  releasing  the  line  at  the  end  of  the  down- 
ward action  as  usual,  etc. 

Gathering  in  the  line  with  the  hand,  and  at  the  same  time 
raising  the  rod  point,  is  a  common  fault.  As  the  line  and 
the  fly  on  the  water  must  not  be  disturbed,  it  must  be 


52  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

evident  that  when  the  finger  and  thumb  have  drawn  in  as 
much  line  as  they  conveniently  can,  and  when  the  rod  has 
been  also  raised  to  an  angle  of  fifty  or  sixty  degrees,  that  there 
must  be  much  slack  line  still  between  the  rod  point  and  the 
fly,  and  therefore  if  at  this  juncture  a  fish  rises  at  the  fly 
and  the  strike  is  made,  the  hand  holding  the  rod  will  have 
to  be  raised  and  to  travel  some  way  behind  the  head  of  the 
fisherman  before  the  line  is  sufficiently  tight  to  drive  the 
hook  into  the  mouth  of  the  fish.  This  action  brings  the 
rod  into  a  position  from  which  it  is  practically  speaking 
almost  impossible  to  wind  up  the  slack  line — which  has 
been  gathered  in  and  which  is  still  held  in  the  left  hand — 
and  to  keep  at  the  same  time  that  constant  and  permanent 
strain  on  the  fish  which  is  so  necessary,  and  the  fisherman  is 
obliged,  therefore,  when  this  happens,  in  order  to  keep  the 
strain  of  his  rod  on  the  fish,  to  run  backward  and  handline 
his  fish.  Even  if  the  fisherman  be  capable  of  striding  the 
fish  as  it  rises,  the  position  of  the  rod  will  prevent  his  playing 
his  fish  from  the  reel  and  he  will  have  to  handline. 

The  first  way  is  the  best  way. 

By  fastening  the  end  of  the  line  to  a  croquet  hoop  or  any- 
thing else  on  the  lawn,  these  three  methods  can  be  practised 
by  the  reader,  and  he  should  gather  in  the  line  in  the  different 
ways  I  have  described  above,  taking  care  not  to  disturb  the 
line  lying  on  the  grass  between  the  rod  point  and  the 
hoop  until  the  strike  be  made,  etc. 

After  he  has  fixed  his  line  to  a  croquet  hoop,  he  should  stand 
at  a  distance  of  eighteen  yards  from  the  hoop,  his  rod  held 
horizontally  about  three  feet  from  the  ground,  and  having 
his  line  extended  on  the  grass.  If  then  he  walks  towards 
the  hoop,  the  line  will  become  slack  under  the  point  of  his 
rod  in  exactly  the  same  manner  as  if  it  were  being  brought 
down-stream  towards  him  after  having  made  his  cast  up- 
stream.    If  instead  of  fastening  the  line  to  a  croquet  hoop, 


A  DAY'S  FISHING  63 

a  friend  will  hold  it  in  his  hand  and  as  the  strike  is 
made  walk  rapidly  towards  the  striker,  the  relative  value  of 
the  above  methods  will  become  even  more  pronounced. 

Should  the  three  methods  I  have  suggested  thus  be 
practised,  it  will  be  found  that  the  first  is  the  best  and 
safest.     No  contretemps  can  possibly  happen. 

In  the  second  method  the  disadvantage  is  that,  if  the  same 
distance  in  the  coming  cast  has  to  be  reached  as  in  the 
latest  cast,  some  false  casts  have  to  be  made,  during  which 
the  line  has  to  be  pulled  off  the  reel  again  before  the  full 
length  required  for  the  final  cast  is  obtained. 

In  the  third  method,  which  is  simply  raising  the  rod  when 
picking  up  the  slack  line,  should  the  rod  approach  the 
vertical  before  the  fish  rises,  it  will,  at  the  conclusion  of  the 
strike,  be  pointing  backward  over  the  shoulder,  instead 
of  pointing  upward  and  forward,  and  the  control  of  the  line 
by  the  reel  may  become  impossible  and  handlining  will  have 
to  be  adopted. 

In  your  latest  effort  at  the  trout  I  directed  you  to  raise 
the  point  of  your  rod  because  we  were  aiming  at  a  definite 
fish,  and  your  fly  had  not  to  travel  for  any  distance  before  it 
had  floated  below  your  fish  and  another  cast  was  advisable, 
but  where  you  are  fishing  the  stream,  that  is  not  casting  to 
a  rising  fish,  it  is  always  best  to  let  your  fly  come  well  back 
down-stream  towards  you,  in  order  perchance  to  cover  a 
possible  fish  which  you  may  not  have  seen  rise.  This  means, 
however,  taking  in  a  great  deal  of  slack  either  with  your  finger 
and  thumb,  or  on  your  reel,  and  of  the  two  the  latter  is,  I 
think,  the  better  way. 

Handlining 

*'  Handlining  " — a  method  of  gathering  in  the  line  with 
the  hands  instead  of  by  the  reel — should  not  be  adopted 
except  in  cases  of  unavoidable  difficulty,  otherwise  a  slovenly 


64  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

habit  of  using  the  rod  and  reel  will  ensue.  If  the  method  of 
handlining  is  adopted  after  striking  a  fish,  it  has  to  be 
continued,  and  the  slack  line  thus  recovered  will  prove  a 
constant  source  of  danger  should  it  be  necessary  to  follow 
the  trout  down-stream  and  keep  him  under  control.  In 
this  respect  I  venture  to  disagree  with  one  of  our  best  known 
authorities,  who  advises  his  readers  to  slacken  the  line  after 
striking  a  trout  among  weeds,  and  then  to  handline. 

Naturally  one  would  not  drag  a  fish  into  danger 
except  as  a  means  of  keeping  it  away  from  a  greater  danger, 
but  a  trout,  after  being  hooked  amid  the  weeds,  will  in 
nine  out  of  ten  cases  dart  into  the  shelter  of  the  weeds 
surrounding  him,  and  I  see  little  good  in  relying  on  the  chance 
of  his  not  doing  so.  It  is  only  by  keeping  a  constant  tension 
on  the  line  that  the  fly  is  in  many  instances  kept  in  the 
mouth  of  the  trout.  For  the  slightest  slackness  of  the  line 
frequently  permits  the  trout  to  use  its  tongue  as  a  hook 
extractor  and  dislodge  the  fly,  and  therefore  I  think  that 
neither  slacking  your  line  nor  handlining  is  advisable 
when  once  you  are  fortunate  in  making  a  successful  strike 
at  a  trout. 

The  writer  above  quoted  advises  his  readers  to  turn  the 
fish  and  walk  it  down-stream  directly  it  is  struck  when 
amid  weeds.  He  claims  that  this  method,  if  successful, 
possesses  the  advantage  of  keeping  the  battle  from  the 
hitherto  undisturbed  waters  above ;  but  a  trout,  except  it 
sees  the  fisherman,  or  it  happens  to  be  feeding  at  the  tail 
end  of  a  pool,  generally  runs  down  stream  unless  it  darts 
into  the  weeds,  etc.  He  might  also  claim  that  this  method 
of  handling  a  fish  takes  it  away  from  its  retreats  and  into 
regions  of  comparatively  speaking  unknown  security,  but 
it  has  the  demerit  of  leading  the  fish  downward  into  weeds 
— the  most  dangerous  of  all  manners  in  which  a  trout  can 
enter  them.     It  also  has  the  demerit  that,  unless  the  trout 


A  DAY'S  FISHING  65 

happens  to  see  the  fisherman  and  thus  be  scared  into 
the  weeds  on  its  far  side,  he  cannot  keep  the  trout  out  of  the 
weeds  which  lie  between  it  and  himself,  which  position, 
if  taken  up  by  the  trout,  is  most  dangerous. 

It  is  better,  however,  to  try  handHning  than  to  run  the 
risk  of  losing  your  fish,  and  this  method  has  the  same 
advantage  as  the  silent  reel,  in  that  the  jarring  vibrations 
of  the  check  are  absent  at  a  critical  moment. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  trout  which  take  advantage 
of  the  shelter  which  is  offered  by  weeds,  are  better  fed  and 
consequently  stronger  and  larger.  They  are  also  more 
approachable,  but  though  this  may  be  to  the  advantage 
of  the  fisherman,  yet  it  is  more  than  counterbalanced 
by  the  difficulty  of  casting  to  and  playing  a  trout  when 
hooked  in  a  channel  amid  the  weeds.  If  a  trout  be  rising 
in  one  of  the  narrow  channels  formed  by  the  stream  amid 
the  weeds,  the  prick  and  check  of  the  strike  will  invariably 
send  it  into  its  refuge  among  them,  and,  unless  this 
channel  be  directly  above  and  running  towards  the  fisherman, 
there  must  not  be  the  slightest  hesitation  on  his  part, 
drastic  measures  must  be  adopted  directly  his  strike  is 
successful.  The  head  of  the  trout  must  therefore  be  kept 
well  up,  and,  if  possible,  brought  above  the  weeds  by  a  firm 
and  maintained  strain  on  the  line  ;  once  the  head  of  the 
trout  can  be  raised  so  that  it  lies  on  the  weeds  the  struggles 
of  the  fish  will  only  serve  to  bring  it  over  the  top  of  them 
and  toward  the  net.  When  handling  a  big  fish  in  this 
manner  it  will  make  a  very  great  fight,  but  unless  such 
tactics  are  adopted  it  would  most  certainly  be  lost  with 
probably  a  portion  of  the  fisherman's  cast. 

I  have  known  many  fishermen  afraid  to  cast  to  a  fish, 
assuming  that  they  may  be  unable  to  land  it,  even  if  they 
are  successful  in  hooking  it.  I  think  however,  that  this  is 
one  of  the  sporting  risks  which  should  always  be  taken. 


56  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

It  certainly  affords  me  great  pleasure  when  I  have  captured 
a  fish  that  has  been  lying  in  what  I  consider  to  be  an  almost 
impossible  position. 

There  are  times  when  a  big  trout  does  lose  its  head, 
fails  to  seek  the  security  of  its  home  amid  the  weeds,  and 
allows  itself  to  be  led  gently  down  stream  to  a  place  clear  of 
weeds,  as  suggested  by  Mr.  Halford.  I  only  remember 
having  seen  such  an  occurrence  once,  and  I  do  not  con- 
sider it  advisable  to  take  the  chances  of  its  happening 
again. 

If  a  big  trout  be  hooked  when  directly  up-stream  in  such 
a  narrow  channel,  it  should,  if  possible,  be  turned  down- 
stream and  kept  coming  down-stream  towards  the  fisher- 
man until  clear  of  the  weeds,  etc. ;  but  this,  again,  means 
drastic  and  immediate  measures  before  the  fish  can  recover 
from  the  surprise  of  the  strike,  and  great  care  must  be 
taken,  when  bringing  it  down,  to  keep  as  much  as  possible 
out  of  sight. 

The  Left  Hand  and  the  Reel 
Now   I   see   some   signs  of  the  fish  beginning  to  move 
again,  but  before  we  start  I  think  I  will  give  you  a  few 
hints  as  to  fixing  the  reel  on  the  rod. 

The  traditions  handed  down  from  the  earliest  records  of 
fly  fishing,  associated  as  they  were  with  the  then  only  known 
method,  namely,  wet  fly  fishing  down-stream,  are  responsible 
for  the  belief  which  exists  in  the  minds  of  fishermen  of 
to-day  that  the  handle  of  the  reel  must  be  on  the  right  hand 
side  of  the  rod,  and  they  have  grown  to  believe  that  they 
cannot  use  their  reel  unless  so  fixed,  and  to  think  that  they 
cannot  use  the  left  hand  for  winding.  They  have  there- 
fore been  in  the  habit  of  using  the  right  hand  for  winding 
in  the  line,  having  of  course  to  change  their  grasp  on  the 
rod  when  using  the  right  hand  for  casting  with  the  single- 


A  DAY'S  FISHING  57 

handed  rod,  and  also  when  the  right  hand  is  uppermost 
when  casting  with  the  double-handed  rod. 

The  following  episode  will  illustrate  the  difficulty  I  some- 
times experience  in  getting  my  clients  to  even  consider  the 
advantages  of  using  the  left  hand  for  winding  purposes, 
and  of  altering  the  position  of  the  reel  on  the  rod.  I  was 
about  to  coach  a  military  client,  whom  I  will  call  Colonel 
O'Brien,  in  the  Spey  cast,  on  my  St.  John's  Wood  ground, 
and  as  he  wanted  my  advice  on  his  salmon  rod  he  had 
brought  it  with  him.  As  I  was  fixing  up  a  cast  and 
fly,  he  put  his  rod  together  with  the  reel  handles  facing  to 
the  right — this  I  noticed  after  I  had  fixed  the  cast  and  fly 
to  his  line — and  the  following  dialogue  occurred  : — 

"  Colonel,"  said  I,  **  do  you  always  fix  your  reel  with  the 
handle  on  the  right  hand  side  ?  " 

"  Sure,"  said  he,  "  I  do." 

"  And  do  you  prefer  to  have  your  right  hand  uppermost 
when  you  are  using  the  salmon  rod  ?  " 

"  I  do,"  said  he. 

"  Then,  Colonel,  why  don't  you  have  the  handle  of  your 
reel  pointing  to  the  left  hand  side,  so  that  you  can  reel  up 
with  the  left  hand,  without  altering  your  hold  on  the  rod  ?  " 
I  enquired. 

**  Sure,"  said  he,  "I  never  use  my  left  hand  for  anything." 

"  What  about  eating  peas.  Colonel  ?  " 

"Faith!  Are  we  talking  about  feeding  or  fishing?" 
he  asked,  raising  his  eyebrows. 

"  Well  !  "  said  I,  "  Supposing  you  are  loch  fishing,  or 
fishing  in  slackish  water,  and  the  fish  makes  a  terrible  rush 
towards  you  and  you  have  not  time  to  shift  your  hands, 
what  are  you  going  to  do  ?  " 

*'  Sure,"  said  he,  **  If  I  am  in  a  hurry  I  twist  my  rod 
round";  and,  saying  this,  the  Colonel  illustrated  it  by 
twisting  the  rod  round,  continuing  to  hold  it  with  the  right 


58  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

hand  uppermost,  and  bringing  the  reel  over  the  rod  with 
its  handle  pointing  to  the  left  hand  side ;  then  seizing  the 
handle  of  the  reel  in  his  left  hand,  he  began  to  illustrate  how- 
he  would  wind  up  the  line  quickly  in  such  an  event. 

"  Colonel !  "  I  asked,  "  do  you  kill  many  fish  like  that  ?  " 
"  Sure,"  said  he,  "  I  kill  half  of  the  fish  in  this  way/' 
"  Well,   Colonel  !  which  hand  are  you  using  now  ?  " 
**  Begorrah !  "     said    he,    after    a    moment's     reflection, 
"  I've  been  using  my  left  hand  all  the  time   and  I  didn't 
know  it." 

Admittedly  it  may  be  awkward  in  the  first  few  attempts 
to  wind  the  reel  with  the  left  hand,  when  the  right  hand  only 
has  been  accustomed  to  the  work,  but  then  a  similar  awkward- 
ness is  experienced  whenever  we  vary  an  accustomed 
method  of  performing  any  action.  Take  for  example  our 
procedure  in  putting  on  any  garment,  say  a  coat — if  we  are 
accustomed  to  insert  the  right  arm  first  into  its  sleeve,  let 
us  instead  experiment  by  introducing  the  left  arm  first, 
and  the  awkwardness  will  be  at  once  admitted,  but  this 
does  not  infer  that  the  latter  method  of  putting  on  the  coat 
is  more  difficult  or  that  it  could  not  be  easily  acquired. 

A  Wrinkle 

And  now  I  will  show  you  yet  another  way  of  taking  a 
trout  before  I  go  home.  You  can  see  that  not  a  fish  is 
moving ;  everything  is  baking  hot.  The  sub-imago  is 
sheltering  amid  the  grass,  and  the  pupa  amid  the  weeds  ; 
both  dislike  this  bright  and  torrid  glare,  and  while  the 
former  is  getting  ready  for  his  joyous  but  very  brief  honey- 
moon existence,  the  latter  is  clinging  to  his  wavy  and 
shadowy  retreat,  and  waiting  for  the  impulse  which  is  to 
send  him,  despite  all  dangers,  jigging  up  towards  the 
surface  to  loosen  the  wings  which  are  fretting  within  his 
mask. 


I 


A  DAY'S  FISHING  59 

Do  you  see  that  deep  hole,  right  up-stream,  where  the 
water  glides  smoothly  by  that  sun-smitten  rock  ?  Well,  I 
am  certain  that  there  is  at  least  one  trout  in  its  shade,  and, 
therefore,  I  am  going  to  throw  my  fly  on  the  rock,  and  then 
slowly  pull  it  until  it  drops  off  into  the  deep  water.  Watch  ! 
There,  I  made  no  splash  with  my  line,  and  my  fly  has 
alighted  just  on  the  edge  of  the  rock,  and  well  in  sight  of 
any  fish  which  may  be  lurking  in  the  cool  and  delightful 
depths  below.  See,  I  pull  it  gently,  it  slides  down  the  rock, 
tumbles  into  the  water,  and  floats  beautifully  down-stream. 
A  little  ring  spreads  out,  and  dies  away.  The  fly  has  gone  ! 
It  is  a  rise,  and  I  have  him.  See  how  be  bores  down ;  he 
has  some  retreat,  possibly  a  hole  at  the  base  of  the  rock,  but 
out  he  has  to  come,  and,  finally,  after  a  stubborn  fight, 
he,  too,  goes  into  my  creel.  Now  take  the  rod,  as  I  must 
be  getting  home.  Shorten  up  the  line.  No,  you  are 
winding  the  line  up  too  carelessly.  Always  wind  a  line 
firmly  on  the  reel,  or  you  will  perhaps  at  a  critical  moment 
be  in  difficulties  owing  to  the  line  over-running  itself. 
That's  better  !  The  next  two  or  three  hours'  fishing  will 
be  poor  ;  therefore  fish  the  rise  if  you  see  one,  but  also  try 
all  the  places  in  which  you  think  it  is  possible  fish  may  be 
lying.  Alter  your  fly  if  the  rising  fish  neglect  the  one  you 
are  now  using. 

Keep  well  out  of  sight,  and  go  gently  with  my  rod,  and 
"  Good  luck  and  a  taut  line  to  you  !  " 

The  Selection  of  the  Fly 
The  most  critical  decision  of  a  day's  dry  fly  fishing  is 
that  which  centres  round  the  selection  of  the  artificial  fly. 
The  varieties  of  the  fly  to  which  the  fish  will  rise  are  many, 
and  the  times  at  which  these  flies  may  appear  are  uncertain 
and  impossible  to  foresee.  There  will  always  be  an  un- 
certainty as  to  size,  colouring,  or  variety  of  the  fly  which  will 


60  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

be  taken,  and  indeed  which  is  being  taken,  at  any  moment 
by  the  fish;  there  may  also  be  a  variation  of  much  importance 
in  the  size,  colour  and  appearance  of  the  different  hatches 
of  the  same  family,  and  to  be  successful  under  ordinary 
circumstances  the  greatest  care  should  be  exercised  in 
determining  this  point. 

Take  the  May  fly  as  an  instance  and  consider  the  very 
great  variety  in  the  size,  colour  and  appearance  of  these 
ephemeridae.  Each  season,  nay — each  day,  nay — each 
hour  of  each  May  fly  season,  will  probably  produce  a  varia- 
tion in  its  flying  insect,  which  it  would  be  well  for  the  fisher- 
man to  note.  I  had  recently  sent  to  me  by  Mr.  Cummins  of 
Bishop  Auckland  a  sample  box  of  May  fly  in  which  there 
were  fifty-eight  distinct  patterns,  and,  varied  as  they  were 
in  colour  and  size,  I  did  not  see  one  which  did  not  recall 
some  specimen  of  May  fly  which  I  have  seen  and  used  in  the 
different  waters  of  the  Northern  Hemisphere. 

A  May  fly  of  some  particular  colouring  and  size  may 
establish  a  premier  position  as  a  lure  during  any  one  season 
in  any  one  district,  and  yet  be  almost  useless  the  following 
year  on  the  same  water.  It  may  be  that  these  water 
insects  are  protean  in  their  colouring,  and  that  their  changes 
of  colouring  are  protective ;  but  of  one  thing  the  fisherman 
may  be  certain,  that  no  attention  can  be  too  great  to  give 
to  the  exact  size,  colour,  etc.,  of  the  fly  or  flies  which  are 
to  be  seen  on  the  water  he  is  fishing.  No  matter  how 
killing  a  fly  may  be  at  any  one  minute,  a  sudden  rise  of  the 
fish  will  occur  at  some  other  variety  of  fly  during  the  next 
moment,  and  directly  the  fisherman  recognizes  that  his  fly 
is  unnoticed  by  a  rising  fish,  his  rod  should  be  discarded  in 
favour  of  the  fly  net,  and  each  floating  or  flying  insect  should 
be  captured  and  carefully  examined.  Say  that  I  have  been 
fishing  with  an  Olive  Quill  which  has  been  killing  well,  and 
though  the  fish  are  still  rising,  my  Olive  Quill  fails  to  attract 


A  DAY'S  FISHING 


61 


their  attention ;  I  press  the  spear  of  my  rod  into  the  turf, 
take  my  fly  net  out  of  my  creel  and  get  right  down  to  the 
waterside.  Now  comes  sailing  down  a  dainty  yacht -like 
ephemeridae — it  floats  into  my  net  and  is  then  examined. 
I  find  that  it  is  one  of  a  variety  known  as  Blue  Dun.  Here 
comes  another  :  it  is  an  Olive.  Here  again  is  another  ! — 
a  Ginger  Quill.  And  another !  a  Ginger  Quill  again.  This 
is  good  enough.  My  fly  box  is  opened.  My  recently  captured 
Ginger  Quill  is  compared  with  the  specimen  in  it,  and  a  fly 
similar  in  size  selected.  My  telescopic  net  is  replaced  in  my 
creel,  my  Olive  Quill  taken  off,  the  Ginger  Quill  substituted, 
and  hey  presto  !  once  again  I  am  into  a  fish.  It  will  be 
seen,  therefore,  not  only  how  important  it  is  to  have  some 
sort  of  fly  net  with  which  to  capture  these  elusive  and 
delicate  flying  insects,  but  also  to  depend  on  the  informa- 
tion it  enables  you  to  obtain  as  to  any  hatch  of  flying 
insects — and  thus  to  quickly  select  the  right  fly  to  fish  with. 
The  following  chapter  on  these  flying  insects,  their  lives, 
metamorphoses,  and  appearance,  will  prove  of  interest 
and  importance  to  the  fisherman. 


CHAPTER  IV 

Water  Insects  and  the  Rise 

Description  of  the  Ephemeridae  and  other  water  insects — ^The 
Ephemeridae — ^The  Tricoptera  (the  Caddis  Fly) — The  PerUdae 
(the  Stone  Fly)— The  Sialidae  (the  Alder)— The  Diptera— When 
and  where  to  use  these  flies — ^Fly  boxes  and  their  use — Flies — ^The 
May  Fly — On  the  patterns  of  Flies — The  Fishing  Gazette  and  Mr. 
Val  Consons — ^Mr.  R.  T.  Wickham  and  the  late  Mr.  David  Foster 
— An  interesting  theory — ^The  rise — A  theory  for  the  rise — ^The 
best  time  to  fish — ^The  evening  rise — Fly  fishing  at  night — Fishing 
by  moonlight. 

With  the  exception  of  a  few  fancy  variations,  the  flies 
used  by  the  trout  fisherman  are  made  to  represent  as 
nearly  as  possible  the  appearance  of  the  winged  stage  of 
certain  water  insects  which  are  known  to  the  entomologist 
as  :  The  Ephemeridae,  the  Trichoptera,  the  Perlidae, 
the  Sialidae,  and  the  Diptera.  In  order  that  the  student 
may  be  able  to  tell  to  which  of  the  above  five  families  the 
flies  he  catches  in  his  butterfly-net  belong,  it  will  be  necessary 
to  remember  the  following  characteristic  position  of  the 
wings  of  each  family  when  the  fly  is  alive  and  at  rest. 

The  Ephemerid^. — The  wings  rise  upward  from  the 
shoulder  in  vertical  planes  above  the  body,  generally 
touching  each  other  as  they  rise  from  the  body,  and  when 
floating  down-stream  these  delicate  insects  can  easily  be 
recognized  :  their  wings  are  like  the  sails  of  a  fairy  yacht 
afloat  on  some  dreamland  sea  (see  Plate  VI.,  Figs.  2  and  4). 

The  Trichoptera. — The  wings  run  backward  from  the 
shoulder,  and  lie  alongside  the  body,  meeting,  tent-shaped, 
at  their  upper  edges,  and  gradually  diverging  in  the 
posterior  direction   (see  Plate  VII.,  Fig.  4). 

62 


i 


WATER  INSECTS  AND  THE  RISE  63 

The  Sialid^  (the  Alder). — The  wings  of  the  members 
of  this  family  are  carried  in  a  similar  manner  to  those  of  the 
Trichoptera,  but  the  family  is  a  smaller  one  (see  Plate  VIII., 
Fig.  4). 

The  Perlid^. — The  wings  are  placed  in  a  flat  position, 
running  backward  from  the  shoulder  in  horizontal  planes, 
and  crossing  or  overlapping  one  another  over  the  body 
(seePlate  VIII.,  Fig.  2). 

The  Diptera. — The  wings  generally,  like  the  Perlidae, 
are  placed  in  horizontal  planes  ;  in  most  cases  they  do  not 
overlap,  but  diverge  from  one  another,  as  in  the  common 
housefly. 

There  are  over  200  different  species  of  water  beetle,  the 
numerous  family  of  the  Notonectidae,  besides  the  larvae  of 
the  above  flies,  etc.,  upon  all  of  which  trout  exist  ;  and, 
therefore,  the  wet  fly  fisherman  may  well  imitate  other 
forms  of  sub-aqueous  life. 

The    EPHEMERID-fi 

The  sub-aqueous  existence  of  one  of  the  Ephemeridae 
occupies  the  greater  portion  of  its  life.  From  the  period  at 
which  it  leaves  its  egg  until  it  becomes  a  flying  insect  it  is 
undergoing  a  gradual  metamorphosis,  and,  like  the  Perlidae, 
at  no  time  does  it  assume  the  real  pupal  condition — that  is, 
the  dormant  chrysalis  stage — common  to  the  Trichoptera, 
Sialidae,  and  the  Diptera. 

It  should  therefore,  strictly  speaking,  only  be  alluded  to 
as  being  in  a  larval  condition  until  it  becomes  a  sub-imago, 
but  for  distinction  the  latter  period  of  its  larval  condition 
may  be  termed  pupal.  It  is  at  about  this  latter  period  that 
it  begins  to  be  of  most  interest  to  the  fly  fisherman,  and, 
with  the  kind  assistance  of  Mr.  Chas.  O.  Waterhouse,  of 
the  South  Kensington  Museum,  I  have  been  able  in  Plate  VI., 
Figs.   1    and  3,   to    give   two    characteristic   views   of   its 


64  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

appearance  just  before  the  sub-imago  state.  The  beautiful 
illustrations  of  the  larval,  pupal  and  flying  stages  of  the 
water  insects  on  Plates  VI.,  VII.  and  VIII.  were  drawn  for 
me  by  Mr.  Horace  Knight,  of  the  Natural  History  Museum. 
Fig  1,  Plate  VI.,  shows  the  pupal  stage  of  the  larva  of  the 
May-fly,  Ephemera  vulgata,  twice  its  natural  size.  Fig.  3 
represents  the  pupal  stage  of  the  larva  of  Cloeon  rufulum,  a 
fly  resembling  the  Red  Quill.  Fig.  2  shows  the  Ephemerata 
vulgata  in  its  flying  stage  with  the  wings  open.  Fig.  4 
shows  the  Cloeon  rufulum  in  its  flying  stage  with  its  wings 
closed.  The  larval  period  of  the  different  Ephemeridae 
lasts  from  one  to  two  years. 

There  are  several  varieties  of  the  larvae,  corresponding  to 
the  several  kinds  of  Ephemeridae,  and  in  each  the  appear- 
ance and  the  habits  differ — some  crawl,  some  burrow,  and 
others,  again,  swim — but  in  all  the  varieties  the  larval 
appearance  alters  as  they  attain  full  size,  and  beneath  the 
transparent  integument  covering  their  bodies  can  be 
discerned  the  gradual  development  of  the  wings,  thorax, 
and  legs,  which  will  be  used  after  the  metamorphosis  to  the 
flying  condition  (see  Plate  VI.,  Figs.  1  and  3). 

When  the  larvae  are  fully  ready  for  this  change,  they 
leave  the  haunts  in  which  they  have  hitherto  spent  their 
existence,  and  swim  to  the  surface.  When  there  the  mask- 
like membrane,  under  which  the  wings,  etc.,  have  been 
visible  (see  Figs.  1  and  3,  Plate  VI.),  splits  open,  and, 
supported  on  this  shell  as  on  a  raft,  the  insect  gradually  frees 
every  part  of  its  body  and  unfolds  its  wings.  As  soon  as 
these  wings  are  dried,  and  the  body  is  clear  of  its  shell,  the 
sub-imago,  as  it  is  now  called,  flies  to  the  nearest  bank, 
where  it  shelters  itself  amid  the  grasses,  leaves,  etc.  It  is 
commonly  known  in  this  state  as  a  dun,  and  it  appears  at 
various  times,  when  the  weather  is  favourable,  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  water  during  a  period  of  from  one  day  to  two 


PLATE   VI. 


Fig.  I. — Ephemera  vulgata  (May-fly), 
twice  natural  size,  ready  to  assume  its 
sub-imago  or  semi-final  flying  existence. 
Note  the  wing  as  seen  under  the  pupal 
mask. 


Fig.  2. — Flying  state  of  Ephemera  vulgata. 


Fig.  4. — Ephemeridae  CloSon  rufuluni 
Flying  State.     Magnified. 


Fig.  3 — Ephemera,  CloPon  rufulum,  twice  natural 
size,  ready  to  assume  its  sub-imago  existence. 
Note  the  wings. 

The  Ephemeridae 


WATER  INSECTS  AND  THE  RISE  65 

or  more  weeks,  flying  with  the  breeze,  generally  down- 
stream. In  this  stage  of  its  life  it  can  be  easily  recognised 
by  its  comparatively  heavy,  drifting  flight,  and  its  dull, 
semi-opaque  appearance.  By  the  aid  of  a  watchmaker's 
glass,  cilia  will  be  seen  covering  the  surface,  and  forming  a 
fringe  to  the  posterior  margin  of  its  wings. 

The  sub-imago  stage  of  its  life,  which  is  very  brief  in  some 
cases,  is  finally  forsaken  when  the  entire  membrane  of  its 
body  and  wings  again  splits  open  and  is  discarded,  and  the 
insect  then  assumes  its  perfected  stage  as  the  imago  or 
spinner. 

It  is  now  fully  matured  and  enters  into  its  bridal  existence, 
which  lasts  but  a  few  days.  In  this  stage  it  is  to  be  seen  in 
great  numbers  when  the  heat  is  not  excessive  and  during 
the  evening  hours.  Its  wings  are  now  gauzy  and  its  body 
lighter  and  more  brilliant  in  colour.  It  is  easily  recognised 
as  it  soars,  floats,  and  sinks  in  the  ambient  summer  atmo- 
sphere. 

The  following  are  the  popular  names  by  which  some  of  the 
forms  of  the  Ephemeridae  are  known  :  Olive  Duns,  Duns, 
Blue  Duns,  Autumn  Duns,  Blue- Winged  Olives,  Iron  Blue 
Duns,  Red-Quill  Duns,  Red  Spinner,  Jenny  Spinner,  May- 
fly, March  Brown,  Iron  Blue,  etc. 

The  Trichoptera,  or  Caddis-fly 
These    insects,   unlike    those   of   the    Ephemeridae    and 
Perlidae  family,  undergo  a  distinct  metamorphosis  during 
their  sub-aqueous  existence. 

The  Trichoptera  may  be  divided  into  two  families. 
The  larva  of  one,  after  leaving  its  egg,  spins  a  cylindrical 
sheath  round  itself  (see  Plate  VII.,  Fig.  2),  which  forms  its 
future  home,  and  to  which  it  attaches  small  stones,  sand, 
wood,  etc.  ;  these  cover  and  mask  this  case,  and  at  the  same 
time  act  as  ballast.     The  case  thus  forms  an  armour-like 


66  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

protection  against  enemies.  The  larva  uses  this  sheath 
as  a  movable  residence,  and  from  the  open  end  its  head, 
thorax,  and  legs  protrude  and  provide  the  motive  power, 
the  weak  and  maggot-like  body  (see  Plate  VII.,  Fig.  1),  being 
always  enclosed  and  protected  by  the  armour-clad  case, 
which  it  drags  about  from  place  to  place.  After  various 
enlargements  to  suit  the  growing  conditions  of  its  body,  the 
larva  enters  and  partially  closes  the  open  end  of  its  case ; 
it  then  commences  its  pupal  existence — i.e.,  it  becomes  a 
chrysalis,  and  finally,  when  the  chrysalis  stage  is  over,  it 
tears  open  the  sac  covering  which  has  protected  it  during  the 
dormant  existence.  Swimming  to  the  surface,  it  either 
supports  itself  against  some  floating  object  or  makes  its 
way  to  the  bank.  The  skin  then  splits  open  and  the  insect 
enters  the  flying  stage  direct  (see  Plate  VII.,  Fig.  4),  the  pupal 
kin  being  generally  left  in  the  water. 

The  larva  of  the  other  family  of  the  Caddis-fly  forms 
its  home  by  spinning  a  sac,  like  a  bag,  attaching  it  to 
some  sheltered  spot,  and  covering  it  with  stones,  etc.  It 
leaves  this  home  in  search  of  food,  and  when  the  pupal  stage 
approaches,  it  partially  closes  the  aperture  and  undergoes 
a  pupal  phase  similar  to  the  one  above  described,  before  it 
assumes  its  imago  existence.  Some  well-known  forms  of  the 
Trichoptera  are  as  follows  :  The  Red  Sedge,  Silver  Sedge, 
Orange  Sedge,  Grannom,  the  Welshman's  Button,  the 
Cinnamon-fly,  the  Sand-fly,  etc.  In  Plate  VII.  will  be 
seen  two  exquisite  drawings  of  the  larva  and  the  pupa  of 
the  Caddis-fly,  by  Mr.  Knight. 

Fig.  1  is  the  larval  condition  of  the  Phryganea,  one  of  the 
Sedge  family. 

Fig.  2  shows  the  larval  case  of  this  water  insect. 

Fig.  3  is  the  pupal  stage  of  the  same  water  insect. 

Fig.  4  is  its  flying  stage. 


PLATE  VII. 


Fig.  2. — Caddis  Fly.     Larva  in  Sac. 
Natural  Size. 


Fig.  I. — The  Trie  >pt era  Phryganea  (Scdse- 
Fly),  three  times  natural  size.  This  larva  spins 
a  cylindrical  tube,  and  when  it  reaches  maturity 
closes  the  end  and  enters  its  pupal  exis»pnce. 


Fig.  4. — The  Flying  Form.  .Magnifipd 


Fig.  3. — The  Pupa,  three  times  natural  size, 
ready  to  tear  open  its  pupal  envelope  and  to  enter 
its  imago  or  perfected  flying  existence. 


The  Tricoptera,  or  Caddis  Fly 


WATER  INSECTS  AND  THE  RISE  67 

The  Perlid^  :    The  Stone-fly 

The  sub-aqueous  existence  of  the  Perlidae  after  leaving 
its  egg  and  until  maturity  is  reached,  consists  of  a  crawling 
and  swimming  larval  condition  lasting  several  months, 
during  which  phase  it  gradually  matures  and  attains  by 
progressive  changes  a  state  ready  for  metamorphosis.  See 
Plate  VIII.,  Fig.  1.  When  this  is  reached  it  swims  to  the 
surface,  crawls  ashore,  attaches  itself  to  stone,  rock,  or 
timber,  and  undergoes  a  direct  metamorphism  into  its 
imago  existence. 

Its  appearance  at  first  is  delicate  and  pale,  and  it  appears 
to  have  a  great  difficulty  in  flying  ;  but  its  colour  soon 
darkens,  and  it  grows  stronger  on  the  wing  (see  Plate  VIII., 
Fig.  2). 

In  Plate  VIII.,  Fig.  1  shows  the  larval  stage  of  the 
Perlidae  Nemura  variegata  (Old  Joan),  magnified  about  two- 
and-a-half  diameters.  The  characteristic  wings  of  this 
water  insect  are  to  be  seen  on  either  side  of  its  body,  and 
the  larva  is  shown  just  before  it  undergoes  its  metamorphosis. 
Plate  VIII.,  Fig.  2  shows  the  mature  state  of  this  fly. 

The  following  are  some  well-known  forms  of  the  Perlidae  : 
Stone-fly,  Yellow  Sally,  etc. 

The  Sialid-«  :    The  Alder 

The  sub-aqueous  existence  of  this  form  of  insect  life  is 
purely  larval. 

The  eggs  are  laid  by  the  female  Alder  on  grass,  rushes, 
etc.  When  the  young  larva  is  hatched,  it  crawls  into  the 
water  and  continues  its  existence  more  or  less  in  the  shelter 
of  the  mud  until  it  is  ready  for  its  pupal  stage  (see  Plate 
VIII.,  Fig.  3). 

It  then  leaves  the  water  again,  and  burrows  in  the  earth 
to  pass  its  pupal  existence  ;  it  there  assumes  the  condition 
of  chrysalis  or  pupa.     Changing  from  the  pupal  to  the  flying 


68  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

imago  condition  within  the  shelter  of  this  retreat,  it  crawls 
to  the  surface  and  finally  takes  flight  (see  Plate  VIII., 
Fig.  4). 

The  best  known  form  of  this  fly  is  the  Alder. 

The  Diptera,  or  Two- Winged  Fly 

The  very  numerous  varieties  of  this  class  of  insect  pre- 
clude more  than  a  brief  reference  to  those  forms  which  the 
fisherman  is  most  likely  to  copy  as  artificial  flies.  These 
are :  The  Black  Gnat,  the  Oak-fly,  the  Spider-fly,  the 
Cow-dung,  the  Golden  Dun,  the  Hawthorn-fly,  and  the 
Claret  Smut,  sometimes  known  as  the  Red  Quill  Gnat. 

The  larval  and  pupal  characteristics  of  these  flies  differ 
widely,  and  the  student  can  do  no  better  than  consult 
entomological  works  on  this  and  the  other  families  of  water 
insects. 

The  most  common  form  of  this  family  is  the  house  fly, 
and  this  hardly  needs  illustration,  but  its  larval  and  pupal 
stages  may  be  of  interest  to  the  reader.  See  Plate  VIII., 
Figs.  5  and  6. 

What  sort  of  Flies  to  use  and  When  and  Where  to 

USE   THEM 

If  possible,  the  fisherman  should  determine  before  he 
leaves  home  what  flies  he  may  be  likely  to  want  when  he 
gets  to  his  water,  so  that  he  may  be  certain  of  having 
his  box  well  supplied  with  those  which  are  likely  to  be 
taken  by  the  fish.  He  should,  if  possible,  find  out  with 
which  one  he  should  commence  his  work,  for  should  there 
be  no  hatch  of  flies  on,  no  flies  to  be  seen  on  the  water,  and 
no  evidence  available  on  this  subject  when  he  arrives  there, 
he  will  probably  lose  a  great  deal  of  valuable  time  ere  he 
finds  out  the  particular  one  which  is  likely  to  tempt  a  trout 
to  rise. 


ft 


PLATE    VIM. 


Fig.  2. — Numera  variegaia. 

Flying    form    of    Fig.  i. 

Magnified. 


Fig.  I. — Perlidae,  Nemura  var iegat a— SmuW  Red 
Stone-Fly — (Old  Joan).  2\  titnes  natural  size. 
The  larva  is  shown  just  ready  for  its  metamor- 
phosis into  its  imago  or  perfected  flying  existence. 
Note  the  wings. 

These  wings  are  full  sized,  but  are  most  deli- 
cately packed  under  their  small  envelopes,  as 
shown  above. 


PERLIDi^. 


-N> 


Fig.    3.— Sta/tj   cularicus   (.\lder    Fly).     Larval 
form.      Magnified. 


Fig. 


-Alder  Fly  in  flying  form,  twice  its 
natural   size. 


SIALID.E 


mfp 


VeU 


Fig.     5. — DipUra     Musca     domesticus.     Pupal 
form  of  House  Fly,  four  times  natural  size. 


Fig.  6. 


Larval  form  of  same,  four  times 
natural  size. 


DiPTERA. 


WATER  INSECTS  AND  THE  RISE  69 

Should  he  have  had  no  previous  experience  of  the  water 
he  proposes  to  fish,  he  should  endeavour  to  discover  from 
the  owner,  or  from  the  keeper  of  the  water,  the  names  of 
those  flies  which  are  hatching  out,  and  to  which  the 
trout  are  rising.  Both  the  Fishing  Gazette  and  the  Field, 
in  their  weekly  fishing  reports,  give  some  indication  of  the 
flies  which  are  being  taken  by  the  fish.  Some  idea  as  to 
those  which  are  being  ordered  from  that  part  of  the  country 
in  which  he  intends  fishing,  may  be  obtained  frpm  his  fishing 
tackle  people. 

The  rises  of  different  varieties  of  fly,  however,  are  extremely 
uncertain,  and  all  former  experience,  as  well  as  the  latest 
information  from  the  water,  may  have  to  be  modified  by  the 
circumstances  which  exist  at  the  moment  at  which  he  starts 
his  fishing. 

The  list  of  artificial  flies  on  p.  71  may  be  useful  to  the 
dry  fly  fisherman,  when  purchasing  his  fishing  outfit,  and 
it  will  serve  as  a  guide  as  to  the  principal  varieties  of 
flying  insects  which  are,  generally  speaking,  met  with  in 
different  parts  of  Great  Britain  and  at  different  seasons  of 
the  year. 

By  making  enquiries  from  some  local  authority,  or  at  the 
nearest  fishing-tackle  business,  a  great  deal  of  trouble  and 
disappointment  may  be  prevented  when  fishing  a  stream 
for  the  first  time. 

The  beginner  should  always  carry  a  small  fly  net,  with 
which  to  capture,  and  so  examine,  the  flying  insects  which  he 
may  observe  on  the  water  or  by  the  water  side.  Much 
useful  knowledge  will  be  thus  acquired,  and  his  chances  of 
success  greatly  increased  if  he  is  aware  from  hour  to  hour  as 
to  the  flies  which  he  may  have  to  imitate  if  he  desires  to 
catch  trout.* 

*  See  the  "  Ephemeridae"  Fly  Net,  described  in  the  final  chapter. 


70  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

Fly  Boxes 

After  using  nearly  every  pattern  of  Fly  Box  I  have  come 
to  the  conclusion  that  while  it  is  necessary  to  have  a  fair- 
sized  wooden  or  cardboard  case  divided  into  compartments 
and  fitted  with  celluloid  lids,  in  which  to  keep  a  general 
stock  of  eyed  flies,  it  is  better  for  field  work  to  have  one  or 
two  small  sized  japanned  tin  fly  boxes,  each  containing 
from  twelve  to  fifteen  compartments.  These  fly  boxes  are 
light,  and  either  one  or  both  can  be  carried  without  the 
slightest  inconvenience  in  the  creel  or  in  the  pockets  of  the 
fisherman.  Each  compartment  of  these  fly  boxes  should 
have  a  celluloid  lid,  so  that  the  flies  may  be  always  on  view  ; 
such  compartments  should  be  numbered,  and  should  contain 
a  carefully  selected  assortment  of  the  flies  which  are  likely 
to  be  wanted.  On  the  inside  of  the  lid  of  the  box  should  be 
a  list  of  the  names  of  the  flies  carried,  and  numbered  in 
accordance  with  the  numerals  on  the  compartments  of  the 
box  itself. 

The  advantages  of  this  method  of  carrying  the  flies  when 
fishing  are  many — the  beginner  will  find  it  to  be  the 
best  and  most  expeditious  way  of  acquiring  a  knowledge  of 
the  names  of  the  flying  stages  in  the  life  of  the  water  insects, 
and  of  the  imitations  which  he  will  have  to  use  when  fly 
fishing. 

If,  for  instance,  a  novice  hears  that  the  Red  Quill  is  being 
taken  on  the  water  he  is  going  to  fish,  he  has  only  to  consult 
the  lid  of  his  fly  box,  and  he  will  at  once  see  which  compart- 
ment holds  the  Red  Quill  flies,  and  he  will  then  find  out 
what  they  are  like,  and  lesson  number  one  is  learnt.  If,  on 
the  other  hand,  he  catches  a  fly  on  the  water,  upon  which 
the  fish  appear  to  be  feeding,  and  compares  it  with  the  flies 
in  his  fly  box,  he  will  soon  find  a  similar  flying  insect, 
whose  name  he  will  discover  on  the  lid  of  his  fly  box,  and 


WATER  INSECTS  AND  THE  RISE  71 

another  useful  lesson  will  be  leamt,  and  so  on,  until  such  a 
list  of  the  flies  can  be  dispensed  with. 

Although  I  still  possess  them,  I  have  discarded  the  use 
of  large  fly  boxes  for  field  work  ;  they  are  heavy  to  carry 
and  there  is  a  great  danger  that  when  handling  it  the  box 
may  be  dropped,  the  flies  lost,  etc.,  and  a  greater  difficulty 
will  be  experienced  when  trying  to  find  the  fly  for  immediate 
use. 

Different  Flies  and  When  to  Use  Them 

The  hatches  of  the  different  varieties  of  flying  insects 
during  spring,  summer  and  autumn  merge  into  one  another, 
and  while  the  advent  of  some  species  is  peculiar  to  spring, 
some  to  summer,  and  others  again  to  autumn,  several  of 
them  will  kill  all  the  year  round. 

The  following  names  will  form  a  very  complete  list  of  the 
most  useful  flies  for  fishing  in  different  parts  of  Great  Britain, 
and  if  a  careful  selection,  taken  from  this  list  of  artificial 
flies,  be  made  and  carried  in  two  such  boxes  as  I  recommend, 
it  should  cover  every  variety  of  flying  insect  which  are  taken 
by  the  fish  on  any  one  water  at  any  one  period  of  the  year. 

Diflerent  varieties  of  flying  insects  to  those  given  will 
be  found  to  occur  in  certain  districts,  and  some  of  the  flies 
are  local  in  their  occurrence,  but  the  list  comprises  the 
names  of  the  imitations  of  the  best  known  flying  water 
insects,  used  by  fishermen,  with  which  trout  are  captured, 
and  while  the  names  of  these  flies  may  vary  in  different 
fishing  districts  yet  the  list  will  be  found  to  be  fairly 
comprehensive  and  reliable. 

1  February  Red.*  6  Light  Blue  Dun.|| 

2  Red  Palmer.*  ||  7  Light  Olive  Dun.*  || 

3  March  Brown.*  8  Sand  Fly.* 

4  Greenwell's  Glory. II  9  Blue  Dun.*  || 

5  Iron  Blue  Dun.*  f  10  Gravel  Fly.*  f 


72 


FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 


11  Blue  Upright.*  || 

12  Light  Evening  Dun.f 

13  Coch-y-Bondhu.t  || 

14  Whitchurch  Dun.  f  t 

15  Dark  Olive.  || 

16  Shaw's  Fancy  Hackle.  |] 

17  Grannom.* 

18  Jenny  Spinner.* 

19  Cow  Dung.*  II 

20  Hare's  Ear.*  |! 

21  Wickham's  Fancy.  |! 

22  Tupp's  Indispensable,  t  { 

23  Governor,  t 

24  Red  Spinner.*  f 

25  Red  Quill,  til 

26  Olive  Quill.*  || 

27  Red  Quill  Gnat,  f  t 

28  Yellow  Dun.*  f 


29  Black  Gnat.*  || 

30  Whirling  Dun.  J 

31  Alder.*  f 

32  Shaw's  Fancy  Winged. 

33  Pale  Dun.f 

34  Welshman's  Button,  f 

35  May  Fly.  t 

36  Silver  Horn.f 

37  Blue  Quill,  t  II 

38  Coachman,  f  J        » 

39  Stone  Fly.*  t  f 

40  Ginger  Quill,  t  t 

41  Silver  Sedge,  f 

42  Golden  Sedge,  f  % 

43  July  Dun.f 

44  Dark  Coachman.  { 

45  August  Dun.f 

46  Red  Tag.  I! 


*  denotes  the  flies  which  appear  as  a  rule  in  March,  April  or  May. 

t  „  „  „  in  May,   June  or  July. 

X  »f  )>  >.  in  July,  August  and  September. 

II  „  „  may  be  used  with  success  throughout  the  season. 

Thus  ♦  II  coming  after  the  name  of  a  fly  denotes  that  it  will  generally  appear 
in  the  early  part  of  the  year,  March,  April,  or  May,  but  that  it  is  useful  all 
the  season. 


The  Gravel  Fly,  Grannom,  Hare's  Ear,  Tupp's  Indis- 
pensable, Stone  Fly,  Yellow  Sally,  and  the  Sand  Fly,  etc., 
are  some  of  the  flies  peculiar  only  to  certain  localities. 

Certain  flies,  such  as  the  Blue  Dun,  Blue  Quills,  and  Blue 
Dun  Hackle,  can  at  times  be  used  in  place  of  one  another, 
and  so  with  the  Red  Spinner,  Red  Quill,  and  Wickham's 
Fancy,  also  with  the  Light  Evening  Dun,  the  Light  Yellow 
Dun,  and  the  Light  Olive  Quill.  By  this  I  mean  to  imply, 
that  if  the  fisherman  does  not  happen  to  have  a  pattern  of 
any  one  of  the  above  flies  exactly  similar  to  the  natural 


WATER  INSECTS  AND  THE  RISE  73 

fly  on  the  water,  he  will  be  well  advised  to  substitute 
any  other  of  the  flies  thus  grouped  together. 

Looking  back  over  many  years  of  trout  fly  fishing,  it 
appears  to  me  that  though  each  district,  or  even  the  different 
rivers  in  each  district,  may  have  its  own  special  order  in 
the  appearance  of  the  metamorphosis  of  the  aqueous  life 
of  its  water  insects  into  their  flying  state,  yet  the  order 
in  which  I  have  placed  the  artificial  flies  will  be  found  to 
have  a  fairly  general  application,  and  to  be  somewhat 
in  the  order  in  which  these  flying  insects  will  appear, 
although  some  of  them  will  be  taken  throughout  the  fishing 
season. 

There  are  districts  in  which  certain  flies  are  successful 
at  all  times  of  the  year,  and  for  this  reason  it  is  advisable 
to  avail  oneself  where  possible  of  the  experience  of  the  local 
fishermen. 

A  certain  fly  may  appear  by  the  water  side  at  an  earlier 
or  later  date  than  usual,  but  it  does  not  follow  that  at 
their  first  hatch  such  flies  will  be  taken  by  the  trout, 
or  indeed  until  some  weeks  have  elapsed  after  their  first 
appearance. 

Any  of  the  above  flies  may  be  useful  for  dry  fly  fishing 
on  lochs,  etc.  For  wet  fly  fishing  on  lochs  the  flies  locally 
used  and  tied  on  gut  can  nearly  always  be  obtained. 

If  you  intend  fishing  in  any  particular  district,  you 
should,  when  stocking  your  fly  case,  commence  with  the 
flies  which  are  recognized  killers  on  the  rivers,  streams  and 
lochs  which  you  are  going  to  fish. 

If,  however,  your  fishing  is  likely  to  be  extensive,  and 
you  are  to  visit  different  parts  of  the  United  Kingdom,  then 
it  will  be  well  to  stock  all  the  flies  in  the  list  I  have  given, 
and  arrange  your  small  fly  box  daily. 

Were  I  dependent  on — say  twenty — different  flies,  I 
should  choose  the  following  varieties  : — 


74  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

Three  Shades  of  Olive  Quills — light,  medium  and  dark.f 

Two  shades  of  Olive  Dun — light  and  dark.  J 

Two  shades  of  Blue  Dun — light  and  dark.f 

Light  Blue  Quill,  f  Wickham's  Fancy.  J 

Red  Quill.  J  Golden  Sedge.* 

Ginger  Quill,  f  Hare's  Ear.f 

Yellow  Dun.  J  Coachman.* 

Coch-y-Bondhu.f  Iron  Blue.f 

Alder.  J  Dark  Winged  medium    Olive 

Shaw's  Fancy  Winged.*  Quill. t 

It  is  important  to  remember  that  many  of  the  Duns  and 
Spinners,  though  similar  in  appearance,  differ  in  the  sizes 
in  which  they  will  be  encountered,  and  while  it  is  impossible 
to  give  anything  like  a  perfect  list  of  the  sizes  which  should 
be  within  reach  of  the  fisherman,  I  think  that  flies  marked 
in  the  above  list  with  an  asterisk  may  be  stocked  on 
the  No.  I  hook,  but  those  marked  with  a  dagger  on  a 
No.  00  hook,  and  those  marked  with  a  double  dagger 
may  be  stocked  in  both  these  sizes. 

The  May  Fly. 

To  those  who  can  and  do  fish  fairly  constantly  throughout 
the  year  the  advent  of  the  May  Fly  season  is  by  no  means 
an  unmixed  blessing.  It  certainly  makes  sport  for  the 
time  easier,  but  it  unsettles  the  regular  feeding  habits  of 
the  trout  for  several  weeks  after  the  May  Fly  has  passed, 
and  it  induces  rather  a  careless  habit  of  relying  on  one  class 
of  flying  insect  as  a  lure,  and  a  self-satisfied  disregard  of 
what  may  be  frequently  taking  place,  viz.,  that  other  forms 
of  Ephemeridae,  etc.,  are  preferred,  and  are  being  taken 
by  the  trout.  In  this  way  the  neglect  of  the  ever  varying 
character  of  the  flies  which  are  hatching  out  and  being  taken 
ensues,  and  frequently  leads  to  a  less  successful  day's  fishing, 

♦  No.  I  hook.    t  No.  oo  hook.    }  No.  i  and  No.  oo  hooks. 


f 


WATER  INSECTS  AND  THE  RISE  75 

the  tendency  being  to  leave  the  ordinary  fly  box  at  home, 
and  to  persist  in  presenting  the  May  Fly  to  fish  who  may 
be  feeding  on  the  Alder,  the  Welshman's  Button,  the  Olive 
Quill,  etc. 

On  the  Patterns  of  Flies 

The  fly  fisherman,  to  be  generally  successful,  should 
endeavour  to  cultivate  the  habit  of  observation. 

It  will  be  the  observant  fisherman  alone  who  is  able  at 
certain  times,  to  discover  the  fly  on  which  the  trout  are 
feeding,  or  at  others  he  alone  will  be  able,  by  recalling  the 
result  of  former  observation,  to  select  a  fly  which  will 
attract  the  fish,  and  thus  find,  by  the  success  which  will 
result  from  his  selection,  and  by  the  non-success  of  his 
brother  anglers,  how  extremely  valuable  is  this  knowledge. 

Trout  appear  at  times  to  throw  off  their  accustomed 
caution  and  daintiness,  and  feed  eagerly  upon  almost  any 
variety  of  flying  insect — no  matter  how  it  be  presented  to 
them. 

At  times,  and  this  is  the  evening  carnival,  it  has  appeared 
to  me  that  no  matter  how  skilfully  the  fly  may  be  cast,  or 
what  size  or  variety  of  fly  may  be  used,  the  furious  boil  of 
rising  trout  will  bring  few,  if  any,  fish  to  the  creel  (see  The 
Rise,  p.  80).  Sometimes  and  imder  normal  circumstances 
the  exact  size  and  shade  of  the  natural  fly  must  be  copied 
in  order  to  secure  a  fish,  no  matter  how  eagerly  the  trout  may 
be  feeding,  and  this  again  is  the  time  when  the  observant 
man  will  score,  especially  when  he  is  capable  of  making  his 
own  flies  and  carries  with  him  the  necessary  material  for 
the  purpose. 

An  interesting  suggestion  has  been  brought  before  the 
readers  of  the  Fishing  Gazette.  It  was  suggested  by 
one  of  its  readers  that  an  International  Collection  of 
artificial  flies  should  be  founded,  and  a  reply  to  this  was 


76  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

made  by  Mr.  Val  Conson,  author  of  *'  Wet  Fly  Methods  on 
Dry  Fly  Streams,"  in  a  letter  to  this  paper  (29.11. 13)  which, 
in  my  opinion,  embodied  the  soundest  advice.     He  said  : — 

**  Mature  consideration,  however,  convinced  me 
that  the  tendencies  of  such  collections  would  not 
be  beneficial  to  fly-fishing  at  large.  Any  system 
which  tempts  amateurs  to  copy  copies,  instead  of 
to  copy  nature,  is,  in  my  opinion,  bad  for  fly-dressing. 
I  am  all  for  individuality  in  fly-dressing.  Let  each 
man  obtain  a  mastery  over  materials  and  their 
handling  and  then  dress  his  flies  according  to  the  light 
of  Nature,  from  Nature,  rather  than  from  books 
or  other  artificial  flies." 

I  have  pleasure  in  printing  a  letter  from  Mr.  R.  T. 
Wickham,  which  my  readers  may  find  of  great  interest.  The 
conclusions  so  clearly  stated  by  the  writer  of  this  letter 
were  the  result  of  practical  observation  by  the  late  Mr.  David 
Foster,  and  Mr.  Wickham's  letter  will  no  doubt  assist  the 
fisherman  in  the  selection  of  the  most  valuable  flies  to  carry 
with  him  when  fishing. 

While  not  being  able  to  acquiesce  entirely  in  Mr. 
Wickham's  theory  that  all  the  flies  on  our  chalk  streams 
are  the  descendants  of  four  different  families,  I  think  that 
the  proposition  in  itself  should  lead  to  a  careful  consideration 
of  this  theory,  and  doubtless  to  further  knowledge.  Mr. 
David  Foster  isolated  in  a  floating  tank  the  spinners  of  these 
four  families,  and  he  found  that  as  a  result  be  obtained  the 
various  kind  of  flies  and  water  insects  which  are  known  on 
our  trout  rivers.  The  correctness  of  this  theory  therefore 
depends  on  whether  or  no  the  isolation  was  absolutely 
perfect. 

"  December  19th,  1913. 
"  Dear  Mr.  Shaw, — The  theory  of   the  Duns  or 
Fisherman's    Ephemera,    which   I   was    telling   you 
about  the  other  day,  is  much  more  fully  set  out  in  the 


WATER  INSECTS  AND  THE  RISE  77 

late  David  Foster's  "  Scientific  Angler/'*  It  must 
be  something  like  twenty-five  years  since  I  first  saw 
a  copy  of  this  little  book,  and  about  thirty-five 
since  my  cousin,  the  late  Dr.  Charles  Wickham,  of 
Winchester,  t  first  told  me  of  the  theory — and  I  have 
so  far  found  it  a  never  failing  guide  to  the  proper 
selection  of  the  likely  fly,  and  also  as  increasing  the 
interest  of  one's  fishing.  Briefly  the  theory  is  as 
follows  : — 

"  That  the  Fishing  Ephemeridae  are  all  contained 
in  the  limits  of  four  distinct  families,  and  that  all  the 
Duns  we  fish  with  are  governed  by  the  rules 
regulating  these  families.  He  holds  that  these 
families  consists  in  order  of  size  : — 

*'  I.  The  May  Fly  or  Green  Drake. 

'*  2.  The  March  Brown. 

"  3.  The  Blue  or  Olive  Dun. 

"  4.  The  httle  Iron  Blue  Dun. 

"  It  was  of  the  two  last  I  was  talking,  as  most 
concerning  our  ordinary  trout  stream  in  the  South  of 
England. 

"  Mr.  Foster  declared,  and  Dr.  Wickham  has  told 
me  he  had  proved,  that  all  the  larger  Duns  were  the 
progeny  of  the  Red  Spinner,  that  is  that  the  Blue, 
Olive,  Yellow  and  Ginger  Duns  are  each  according 
to  the  time  of  the  year,  hatched  out  from  the  eggs  of 
the  Red  Spinner,  and  that  the  colour  varied  pro- 
gressively according  to  the  time  of  the  year  and  the 
temperature  of  the  air  and  water.  He  found  that 
from  the  eggs  of  the  Red  Spinner  laid  in  June,  he 
got:— 

**  In  February,  the  Blue  Dun. 

"  In  April,  the  Blue  Dun  with  Olive  Legs  or 
Cockwing  Dun,  varying  on  dirty  days  to  the  Dark, 
and  on  fine  warm  days  to  the  Medium  Olive. 

*  To   be   obtained   from    Messrs.    Foster   Bros.,    Ashbourne,    Derbyshire, 
price  2s.  6d, 

t  The  originator  of  that  excellent  fly,  "  Wickham 's  Fancy." 


78  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

"  In  May,  the  fly  became  lighter — pale  olive  and 
Yellow  Dun. 

"  In  June,  Yellow  Dun,  and  Golden  Dun  or 
Ginger  Quill. 

"  July  to  August,  Ginger  to  pale  watery,  and  as 
September  came,  so  did  the  Olive  tint  return,  and  in 
October  and  November  the  fly  again  becomes  the 
Blue  Dun  of  the  opening  months  of  the  year. 

*'  But  all  these  flies,  no  matter  when  hatched, 
become  in  a  few  days  the  Red  Spinner  or  Red  Quill 
Gnat. 

"  In  the  same  way,  the  Iron  Blue,  often  the  darkest 
purple  in  the  end  of  April,  becomes  paler  through  the 
seasons,  at  some  times  taking  on  an  olive  tinge — 
you  remember  Francis  Francis  getting  Judson's 
Dyes  to  alter  the  colouring  of  the  legs  of  his  Iron  Blues 
— and  sometimes  becoming  almost  as  blue  as  a  trans- 
parent azure  butterfly,  but  changing  into  the  Jenny 
Spinner,  which  is  the  parent  of  the  race.* 

'*  The  March  Brown  follows  in  the  same  way  from 
the  dirty  brown  of  April,  through  the  turkey  and  light 
March  Brown,  to  the  grout  Red  Spinner  or 
Mackerel. 

"  I  have  found  this  myself  correct  in  every  way — 
on  the  Itchen — in  the  Midlands — in  Wales  or  in 
Scotland.  There  are  the  two  sizes  and  in  colours 
almost  accurately  altering  according  to  the  time  of 
year,  and  so  you  will  use  your  dark  or  light  olive, 
your  iron  blue  or  ginger  dun  ;  remembering  always 
.  that  a  dark  and  dirty  or  cold  day  will  make  the  taking 
pattern  a  bit  darker  or  earlier,  and  a  bright  dry  time 
will  brighten  up  the  shades  and  colours  to  be  used. 

"  The  prevalence  of  the  Red  Spinner  accounts  for 
the  value  of  the  Red  Quill,  or  Wickham's  Fancy 
through  the  season — and  I  think  the  Jenny  Spinner 

♦  A  very  good  imitation  of  this  fly  was  known  in  my  boyhood  as 
"  Hammond's  Fancy,"  but  its  relationship  to  the  Iron  Blue  was  not  recognized 
then. 


WATER  INSECTS  AND  THE  RISE  79 

accounts  for  the  value  of  the  Silver  Bodied  Dun  on  a 
wet  dark  day. 

"  The  partridge  and  yellow,  snipe  and  yellow, 
snipe  and  purple,  and  other  such  hackles  are,  of  course 
largely  the  nymphs  of  the  above  flies,  though  there 
are  others  of  the  perlidae  and  the  phryganidae,  which 
are  valuable  on  tree-covered  or  gravel  bordered 
streams. 

"  The  other  thing  we  mentioned  was  my  fancy  for 
the  Claret  and  Mallard,  and  its  reasons.  The  pattern 
I  mean  is  claret  silk  body,  not  fur  or  wool,  ribbed 
round  gold  wire,  black  or  furnace  hackle,  and  grey 
mallard  wings.  I  have  this  fly  generally  in  nearly 
all  sizes,  and  on  unknown  waters  most  often  begin 
with  it  on  the  cast,  in  sizes  according  to  what  I 
expect  at  the  time  of  year. 

"  On  00  hook,  it  is  a  passable  Iron  Blue  Dun. 

"  On  o  hook,  it  will  do  for  a  Blue  Dun  or  a  dirty 
Red  Spinner  and  is  the  right  size  for  any  of  the  Olive 
Duns. 

**  On  No  2  to  4,  it  is  about  the  size  and  not  unlike 
a  March  Brown  in  all  its  changes — a  gravel  bed  or 
an  alder. 

*'  And  lastly,  as  No.  5,  or  6,  it  makes  a  dark  moth 
or  sedge,  or  in  the  May  fly  season,  when  this  size 
kills  best,  a  dark  Mackerel.  And  it  is  not  its  worst 
fault  that  it  is  the  best  sea  trout  fly,  and  salmon 
do  not  seem  to  dislike  it. 

'*  I  ask  you  to  excuse  this  unconscionable  epistle, 
and  beg  to  remain, 

"  Yours  sincerely, 

"  R.    T.  WiCKHAM." 

However  exact  may  be  the  artificial  fly,  both  in  colour, 
shape,  and  size  to  the  natural  insect  which  the  trout  are 
taking,  a  fisherman  will  often  find  that  his  artificial  one  will 
be  neglected  in  favour  of  the  natural  fly  whose  legs  and  wings 
may  happen  to  be  moving.     In  such  a  case,  it  is  advisable 


80  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

to  change  the  fly  for  one  of  a  totally  different  colour,  shape 
and  size,  but  I  think  it  should  be  one  which  is  generally 
on  the  water  or  taken  at  that  particular  season  of  the  year. 
Nothing  can  be  more  illustrative  of  this  than  the  usefulness 
of  the  Alder  or  the  Welshman's  Button  during  the  May  fly 
season. 

The  Rise 

Trout  rise  to  the  fly  at  all  hours  and  during  all  weathers. 
In  the  early  moments  of  dawn,  during  the  hottest  hour  of  an 
autumn  day,  as  the  sun  sinks,  as  darkness  descends,  and 
during  the  stilly  hours  of  a  midsummer  night,  distinct  and 
noticeable  rises  of  trout  may  be  witnessed.  If,  however,  I 
had  to  select  any  four  hours  on  any  day  during  the  season 
in  which  to  fish,  I  think  I  should  choose  the  hours  between 
10  a.m.  and  2  p.m. 

The  causes  which  lead  to  the  rise — that  mysterious 
impulse  which  suddenly  quickens  the  trout  world  into  the 
activity  of  feeding  time — have,  so  far  as  I  am  aware,  never 
been  satisfactorily  explained  ;  it  is,  therefore,  with  some 
diffidence  that  I  advance  a  theory  which  I  have  held  for 
some  time  as  to  this  important  problem. 

I  consider  that  one  common  cause  of  the  rise  is  the  sudden 
impulse  of  the  pupae  of  the  Ephemeridae  to  ascend  to  the 
surface  and  take  wing. 

Fishing  one  day  with  a  Grannom  on  one  of  the  stretches 
of  the  Axe,  in  Devonshire,  I  had  by  noon  creeled  several 
trout,  when  a  furious  rise  of  the  fish  commenced  in  my 
neighbourhood. 

To  my  surprise,  neither  the  rising  trout  nor  the  dace  would 
look  at  the  Grannom,  and  after  many  fruitless  casts  I  decided 
to  change  my  fly.  This  I  did  several  times,  but  with  no 
success,  until  at  last  I  noticed  a  fly  on  the  water. 

By  the  aid  of  my  small  butterfly-net  I  captured  the  fly, 


WATER  INSECTS  AND  THE  RISE  81 

which  turned  out  to  be  an  Iron  Blue  in  its  sub-imago 
state,  and  the  first  I  had  seen  that  season.  Hastily  putting 
one  on  my  cast,  I  secured  a  fish  at  my  first  throw,  and 
although  the  rise  only  lasted  some  twenty  minutes  longer, 
I  caught  seven  other  fish.  When  the  rise  ceased  there 
existed  a  big  hatch  of  Iron  Blue  in  the  air,  but  the  few 
solitary  rising  fish  took  no  further  notice  of  the  Iron  Blue 
Duns,  which  rapidly  disappeared.  I  tried  it,  however,  for 
some  time  longer,  but  eventually  I  replaced  it  with  my 
Grannom,  and  creeled  several  other  trout  before  going  home. 

Before  putting  on  the  Grannom,  however,  I  examined  the 
food  in  the  latest  caught  fish,  and  found  that  the  upper  part 
of  its  gullet  contained  a  great  number  of  nymphae  or  pupae 
of  the  Iron  Blue  in  their  most  advanced  stage,  several 
specimens  having  their  wings  already  unfolded. 

I  am  inclined,  therefore,  to  think  that,  owing  to  some 
alterations  of  the  meteorological  conditions,  the  pupae  of 
this  Ephemeridae,  moved  by  one  of  those  mysterious  impulses 
which  occasionally  influence  the  insect  world,  had  risen  to 
the  surface  to  assume  their  sub-imago  existence,  and  that 
this  general  movement  was  the  cause  of  the  trout  leaving 
the  Grannon  in  favour  of  the  Iron  Blue. 

Since  that  occasion  I  have  corroborated  the  theory  I  then 
formed  by  examining  the  food  of  the  fish  caught  during  a 
sudden  rise,  and  have  found  that  it  consists,  as  a  rule,  of  a 
greater  number  of  the  pupae  than  the  sub-imago  of  the 
existing  hatch.  I  have  also  noticed  the  trout  during  a  rise 
taking  the  pupae  below  the  surface,  and  have  seen  the  trout 
following  pupae  up,  and  taking  them  just  as  they  reach  the 
surface  of  the  water. 

I  do  not  claim  that  this  suggestion  will  account  for  all  the 
general  rises  peculiar  to  trout,  but  I  think  that  in  many  cases 
it  can  be  proved  to  be  due  to  some  initial  movement  of  the 
pupae  towards  their  next    metamorphosis.      A    few  heavy 


82  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

drops  of  rain  are  followed  or  accompanied  by  a  rise  ;  this 
rise  may  be  produced  by  an  upward  movement  of  the 
pupae  in  response  to  the  meteorological  influences  at  work. 
Again,  certain  summer  evenings,  at  about  the  same  hour  and 
for  a  similar  period,  generally  as  the  sun  sets,  will  produce  a 
general  rise  ;  this  rise,  so  well  known  to  fishermen,  is,  so  far 
as  I  can  see,  to  be  accounted  for  only  by  the  cooler  tempera- 
ture inducing  a  general  change  from  the  pupal  to  the  flying 
state  of  certain  small  water  insects ;  these,  as  they  ascend 
to  the  surface,  become  clearly  visible  to  the  fish,  which 
follow  them,  and  seize  those  which  have  not  had  time  to 
assume  a  flying  condition.  The  fish  are  not,  therefore, 
feeding  on  flying  insects.  This  evening  carnival  of  the 
trout  is  invariably  accompanied  by  an  enormous  hatch  of 
small  flying  Ephemeridae,  etc.,  probably  those  which  are 
missed  by  the  trout  and  thus  escape  from  the  surface  of  the 
water  to  which  they  have  risen.  Again  and  again  have  I 
witnessed  the  water  at  such  times  fairly  boiling  with  the 
rising  fish,  but  it  has  been  seldom  that  I  have  had  the 
success  of  landing  even  as  much  as  a  brace  of  fish,  though 
after  this  excitement  has  subsided,  the  Coachman,  Silver 
Sedge,  or  Shaw's  Fancy,  have  proved  most  deadly. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  '*  bulging  "  is  produced  by  the 
activity  of  the  sub-aqueous  entomological  life. 

The  method  by  which  the  latest  food  taken  by  a  trout 
can  be  determined  is  by  holding  the  trout  in  one  hand,  and, 
with  a  firm  upward  pressure  of  the  fingers  of  the  other  hand 
along  the  lower  sides  of  the  abdomen  of  the  fish  towards  the 
gills,  expressing,  or  forcing  into  the  mouth,  the  latest  food 
swallowed  by  the  trout,  which  may  then  be  examined. 
Should  this  pressure  not  succeed  to  the  satisfaction  of  the 
angler,  the  knife  can  be  used  to  open  the  upper  part  of  the 
gullet  or  stomach,  in  order  to  discover  of  what  this  food 
may  happen  to  consist. 


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4 


WATER  INSECTS  AND  THE  RISE  83 

The  Best  Time  to  Fish 

The  forenoon  is,  in  my  opinion,  the  most  fascinating  time 
for  fishing  ;  there  is  no  arriire-pensee  as  to  coming  darkness, 
the  whole  day  is  before  one,  the  creel  is  light,  and  the 
anticipations  and  hopes  of  sport  are  keen. 

As  proving  from  my  own  experience  the  varying  times  of 
the  day  at  which  big  trout  may  be  caught  with  the  dry  fiy, 
I  give  the  following  extract  from  some  of  my  fishing 
diaries  : — 

1893* — The  Wye,  Bakewell,  noon,  cloudy,  2  pounds  6  ounces, 
Olive  Quill. 

1903- — Tlie  Test,  Nursling,  noon,  bright,  4  pounds,  May-fly. 

1905 1- — The  Otter,  Devonshire,  9  p.m.,  calm,  fine,  i  pound  10  ounces. 
Coachman. 

1905.* — The  Otter,  Devonshire,  $  a.m.,  light  breeze,  fine,  i  pound 
15  ounces.  Red  Quill. 

1905. — The  Irfon,  Llangammarch  Wells,  noon,  fresh  breeze,  bright, 

1  pound  6  ounces,  Shaw's  Fancy. 

1899.* — The  Wutach,  Black  Forest,  11  a.m.,  baking  hot,  2  pounds 

2  ounces,  Olive  Quill.     (Caught  on  the  edge  of  a  stream,  in  about 
four  inches  of  water.) 

1899. — The  Arcque,   Normandy,   4   p.m.,   gale,   cloudy,    3   pounds 

10  ounces,  May-fly. 

1897.* — Mountain  stream,  Norway,  2  p.m.,  baking  hot,  4  pounds 

1 1  ounces.  May  fly.     (No  May-fly  known  there ;    quite  calm,  August, 
dibbling.) 

1892.  Lake  near  Felide,  Norway,  midnight,  June,  4  pounds  2 
ounces.  Silver  Sedge. 

Plate  IX.  shows  the  two  trout  mentioned  above,  taken 
from  the  Otter. 

The  Evening  Rise 
Although  some  hours  cannot  be  regarded  as  favourable 
ones  in  which  to  fish,  yet  trout  will  rise  at  floating  food  at 
all  times  during  the  night  or  day. 

*  These  fish  were  caught  by  fishing  the  stream,  no  rise  guiding  me  as  to 
the  fish. 

t  On  Mr.  George  Peppin's  water  at  Harpford. 


84  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

After  a  bright  and  hot  day  during  the  summer  months, 
the  sub-imago  stage  of  life  will  be  assumed  by  many  water 
insects,  while  innumerable  imago  forms  of  insect  life  will 
float  or  soar  through  the  ambient  air  in  the  delicate  mazes  of 
their  bridal  dance.  The  trout  at  these  times  indulge  in 
their  usual  evening  carnival,  presumably  busy  amid  the 
ascending  nymphae,  or  perchance  feeding  eagerly  on  some 
smut-like  flying  insect.  After  this  is  over  they  settle  down 
with  serious  supper  intentions,  and  continue  feeding  at 
intervals,  sometimes  well  on  into  the  small  hours  of  the 
morning.  As  darkness  deepens,  and  before  the  full  moon  has 
risen  to  keep  her  vigil  and  illumine  with  her  silvery  enchant- 
ment the  first  sweet  slumber  of  Nature,  the  fisherman,  who 
has  perhaps  had  a  bad  day,  may  be  tempted  to  fish  on, 
regardless  of  dinner  consideration  or  of  losing  his  last  train. 
By  facing  west  he  can  still  detect  the  rise  of  feeding  fish, 
and  even  if  fish  are  rising  close  to  the  opposite  bank  and  out 
of  sight  amid  its  shadows,  the  sound  of  the  rise  will  very 
frequently  guide  him  in  making  an  accurate  cast,  and 
eventually  landing  a  big  fish.  The  rise  of  the  fish  at  his  fly 
will  in  most  cases  be  seen,  felt,  or  heard — seen,  because  a 
comparatively  big  ring  will  be  caused  by  a  rise,  and  on  the 
slopes  of  the  attendant  ripple  the  glint  and  reflection  from 
the  western  sky  will  be  detected,  even  amid  the  blackness 
of  the  shadows  under  the  opposite  bank  ;  heard,  because 
the  evening  rise  of  a  fish  at  a  floating  fly,  owing  to  its  more 
limited  vision  at  night-time,  is  frequently  more  sudden  and 
less  dignified,  and  therefore,  in  most  cases,  more  clearly 
audible  amid  the  general  hush  of  Nature  ;  felt,  because 
the  fisherman's  line  at  night  should  be  as  short  and 
straight  as  possible,  and  when  the  fly  is  taken  by  the  fish 
the  tug  will  in  most  cases  be  distinctly  noticeable.  (See 
Plate  X.) 


WATER  INSECTS  AND  THE  RISE  85 

Fly  Fishing  at  Night 

There  are  undoubtedly  rivers  or  lakes  on  which  during 
the  day  time  it  is  almost  impossible  to  obtain  a  fish,  but  on 
which  it  is  possible  to  make  very  good  baskets  of  trout  during 
the  night  time,  by  casting  well  across  the  water  with  a 
large  and  darkish  dry  fly,  and  drawing  this  fly  slowly  over 
the  top  of  the  water,  thus  imitating  the  fluttering  motions 
of  a  flying  insect  which  has  fallen  on  the  surface. 

A  "  dry  "  fly,  which,  from  its  size  or  its  drag,  will  put  a 
fish  down  in  daylight,  appears  to  stimulate  the  same  fish 
at  night  time.  One  can,  therefore,  fish  with  a  dry  fly  at 
night,  can  throw  to  the  sound  of  a  rise,  and,  by  gently 
dragging  the  fly  along  the  water,  can  feel  the  touch  of  the 
rise  which  is  likely  to  follow.  A  large  fluffy  fly,  such  as  the 
Stone  Fly,  or  a  Sedge,  will  be  found  to  be  the  best  to  use. 

The  best  method,  in  playing  a  fish  at  night  time,  is  to 
move  the  rod  point  in  the  opposite  direction  to  that 
towards  which  the  fish  is  struggling,  and  to  continue  to  do 
this  until  the  latter  is  sufiiciently  quiet  to  be  drawn  in  and 
netted. 

Fishing  by  Moonlight 

And  now  the  moon  has  risen  and  is  lighting  a  path  of 
silvery  brightness  on  the  placid  waters  of  the  trout  stream. 
You  are  wading,  and  the  stream  is  broad,  and  the  banks 
low.  Watch  this  path  of  melted  silver,  spilt  as  it  were  on 
the  inky  surface  of  the  stream,  and  ere  long  a  small  speck 
will  appear,  followed  by  a  single  tiny  ring  which  quietly 
opens  out  round  it — a  rise  which  would  not,  perhaps,  have 
been  noticed  in  the  daylight,  though  probably  caused  by  a 
good  fish.  Now  throw  your  Silver  Sedge  just  above,  and 
let  it  float  over  the  place  in  which  you  saw  the  rise,  and  you 
will  get  your  fish,  maybe  with  less  trouble  than  you  would 


86  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

experience  in  daylight.  The  pall  of  night  is  your  back- 
ground, and  therefore  the  fish  are  less  able  to  see  you  ; 
they  are  not  so  suspicious,  nor  so  prone  to  seek  the  shelter  of 
the  weeds  or  the  entanglements  of  their  retreat,  and  until 
they  see  you  they  will  not  know  from  which  quarter  comes 
the  galling  restraint  of  your  fly. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  SENSES  OF  TROUT  AND  HOW  THEY  AFFECT 
THE  FISHERMAN. 

The  vision  of  a  trout — Horizontal  sight — Vertical  sight — ^These  factors 
as  they  affect  the  fisherman. 

I  think  it  may  be  accepted  as  a  fact  that  fish  can  distinguish 
the  flavour  of  different  kinds  of  food,  but,  so  far  as  I  am 
aware,  it  has  not  been  decided  whether  it  is  their  olfactory 
organs  which  are  affected,  or  whether  they  possess  a  sense  of 
taste  only.  The  use  of  parafl&n  may  cause  a  more  rapid 
rejection  of  the  artificial  fly  by  the  trout,  but  whether  it 
might  not  be  advisable  to  apply  an  odour  to  the  body  or 
hackle  of  a  fly — similar  to  that  of  the  real  fly — remains  to  be 
proved.  Fishermen  have  claimed  that  certain  flavours  are 
beloved  of  trout,  but  the  result  of  personal  experiment  in 
the  application  of  such  flavours  to  the  body  of  a  fly  is  a 
branch  of  flyfishing  still  very  much  open  to  original  discovery. 
I  have  experimented  with  various  essences,  and  considered 
that  I  met  with  success  by  mixing  two  or  three  drops  of  the 
oil  of  aniseed  with  my  paraffin-oil.  This  suggestion  may  be 
of  some  use  to  my  readers,  and  perhaps  induce  them  to 
continue  such  experiments  until  some  perfect  mixture  has 
been  discovered. 

Trout  are  undoubtedly  sensible  to  colour  distinctions,  and 
they  can  also  detect  the  most  subtle  differences  in  the  shade 
and  tint  of  the  different  parts  of  the  various  water  insects 
on  which  they  feed,  whether  the  difference  exists  in  the 
wings,  the  hackle,  or  the  body  of  the  fly.  It  is  fortunate, 
therefore,    for    the    fisherman    that    there    are    not    only 

87 


88  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

variations  as  regards  colour  in  the  individual  members  of 
each  hatch  of  water  insects,  but  also  that  trout  do  not 
always  appear  to  exercise  the  power  of  discriminating  which 
they  undoubtedly  possess,  but  will  rise  freely  to  the  poorest 
imitations  of  the  flies  which  are  on  the  water. 

I  do  not  consider  that  trout  can  appreciate  sound  as  we 
know  it ;  rather  are  they  gifted  with  a  fine  sense  of  all 
vibratory  motion.  Sound  is  communicated  by  the  vibration 
of  the  air  or  other  elements,  but  other  vibrations  of  these 
elements  can  be  produced  without  sound,  and  the  trout 
may,  therefore,  depend  on  the  tactile  nerves  rather  than  on 
the  auditory  ones.  If  trout  were  dependent  on  the  faculty 
of  hearing  for  their  safety,  and  relied  to  any  extent  on  this 
faculty  to  give  them  warning  of  a  danger  which  might  not 
be  within  their  range  of  vision,  I  do  not  think  that  wading 
would  be  so  productive  of  good  results  as  it  undoubtedly  is. 
The  noise  of  one's  brogues  on  the  pebbles  can  be  distin- 
guished when  the  ear  is  submerged  for  considerably  over 
half  a  mile  in  perfectly  quiet  and  unbroken  water  in  rivers, 
and  for  miles  in  lakes. 

The  Vision  of  a  Trout 

Although  it  is  supposed  that  trout  cannot  see  an  object 
which  is  behind  them — that  is,  in  the  direction  of  their 
tails,  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  under  certain  conditions 
they  can  indirectly  perceive  the  approach  of  any  object 
above  the  surface  of  the  water,  even  when  such  objects  are 
directly  behind  them,  i.e.,  in  what  I  call  the  normal  zone 
of  invisibility.     (See  Diagram  1,  C.E.D.). 

I  have  noticed  that  however  carefully  I  have  approached 
from  the  4ower  end  of  a  shallow,  pebbly  pool,  unless  my 
approach  is  masked  by  a  heavy  background  of  trees,  the 
trout  in  the  shallow  and  lower  end  take  fright  and  run  up 
into  the  upper  or  deeper  portion.     For  many  years  the 


THE  SENSES  OF  A  TROUT  89 

uncanny  quickness  of  trout  in  discovering  my  vicinity 
under  these  conditions  completely  baffled  me,  but  curiously 
enough  the  explanation  came  to  me  when  bathing  in  the 
Ifafa  River,  Swaziland.  I  had  been  swimming  in  just  such 
a  pool  as  I  have  described,  and  had  drifted  to  the  lower  and 
shallow  end.  My  body  was  resting  on  the  pebbles,  and  my 
eyes  were  just  above  the  water  gazing  up-stream,  when  my 
attention  was  drawn  to  a  distinct  lessening  of  the  light  on 
the  pebbles  in  front  of  my  eyes,  and  slowly  turning  my  head, 
I  found  two  Reit  buck  standing  on  the  bank  of  the  river  a 
little  distance  below  me,  and  silhouetted  against  the  clear  sky, 
from  which  position  they  had  appreciably  lessened  the  light 
falling  on  the  pebbles.  Their  curiosity  had  evidently  been 
aroused,  and  they  appeared  to  be  looking  at  me  intently. 
I  did  not  move,  but  something  frightened  them,  and  they 
turned  and  bolted  out  of  sight.  The  incident,  however, 
solved  the  difficulty. 

In  shallow,  pebbly  pools  the  trout  lie  immediately  over 
the  glistening  and  reflecting  surface  of  the  pebbles.  Any 
object,  therefore,  which  comes  between  these  pebbles  and 
the  sky  must  shut  out  some  of  the  light  which  falls  on  them, 
and  this  lessening  of  the  light  they  reflect  must  warn  the 
trout  that  some  object  is  moving  or  approaching  them  from 
down  stream,  and  hence  their  movement  up  stream. 

Horizontal  Sight 

If  the  eyes  are  assumed  to  be  the  centre  of  the  horizontal 
plane  in  which  the  fish  is  lying,  a  trout,  in  ordinary 
condition,  can  see  in  that  plane  from  a  point  right  ahead  to 
an  angle  of  about  sixty  degrees  behind  each  shoulder.  In 
other  words,  any  object  situated  in  the  300  degrees  of 
the  forward  part  of  the  horizontal  circle  surrounding 
a  trout,  will,  as  a  rule,  be  visible,  while  any  object  situated 
in  the  remaining  sixty  degrees  of  that    circle    would    be 


90  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

invisible.  Mr.  Sheringham  told  me  some  time  ago  of  a 
case  in  which  he  had  proved  that  trout  can  apparently  see 
at  times  directly  behind  themselves.  I  admit  that  trout 
do  become  aware  of  a  danger  at  times,  when  in  the  supposed 
zone  of  invisibility,  but  not  in  the  horizontal  plane  in  which 
the  trout  is  lying.  It  will  generally  be  found  that  if  an 
object  be  thus  seen  by  the  trout  it  will  have  been  because 
the  object  has  been  lifted  at  some  height  above  the  surface, 
where  the  bulge  of  its  shoulders  would  not  intervene 
between  its  eye  and  the  object,  as  it  would  if  the  object 
and  the  trout's  eye  were  in  one  plane. 

In  Diagram  1,  if  A  B  C  D  represents  the  horizontal 
plane  in  which  the  trout  is  lying,  E  the  eye,  and  T  the 
tail  of  the  fish,  its  eyes  are  naturally  directed  up-stream, 
and  when  in  this  position  it  can  see  any  object  in  its  own 
plane  in  the  unshaded  portion  D  A  B  C,  and  cannot 
directly  see,  without  moving  its  position,  any  object  in  the 
shaded  portion  C  E  D.  Hence  it  is  that  the  fly  fisherman, 
when  within  this  latter  zone,  can  generally  approach  his 
fish  without  being  detected. 

Vertical  Sight 

In  any  vertical  plane  passing  through  the  eye  of  the 
trout,  however,  a  different  range  of  sight  has  to  be  con- 
sidered, and  an  entirely  new  factor  presents  itself — this  is 
the  refractive  influence  of  the  water  on  all  rays  entering 
it.  I  need  not  here  enter  into  the  laws  of  refraction,  but 
will  ask  my  readers  to  accept  as  a  fact  that  the  vertical  range 
of  the  vision  of  a  trout,  as  regards  all  objects  external  to  the 
water,  may  be  regarded  as  being  confined  to  the  interior 
of  a  hollow  cone,  the  apex  of  which  cone  is  situated  at  the 
eye  of  the  trout,  and  the  sides  of  which  rise  upward,  meeting 
the  surface  of  the  water  at  an  angle  of  42  degrees.  So  far 
as  the  fish  is  concerned,  within  this  hollow  cone — which, 


THE  SENSES  OF  A  TROUT 


91 


therefore,  subtends  an  angle  of  96  degrees  in  every  upward 
direction — is  confined  the  view  of  all  objects  within  the 
180  degrees  vertically  above  the  water.  In  other  words, 
the  trout  sees,  as  it  were,  all  objects  above  the  surface  of  the 
water  within  an  arc  of  about  half  that  in  which  these 
objects  really  exist,  and  consequently,  the  comparative 
size  of  these  objects  must  be  relatively  smaller  in  view  of 
their  being  cramped  into  its  smaller  field  of  vision. 


^^^^yaJKonrouii^ 


Diagram  i. 
A  B  C  D,  horizontal  plane  of  trout's  vision  ; 
E  T  ,  trout ; 
D  A  C  B,  horizontal  zone  of  trout's  sight. 

In  order  to  make  this  perfectly  clear  to  my  readers,  I 
have  shown  two  diagrams. 

In  Diagram  2,  E  is  the  eye  of  the  fish,  from  which  rises 
a  vertical  cone  E  A,  E  C,  E  B,  E  D,  the  sides  of  which  cut 
the  surface  of  the  water  as  shown  at  A  B  C  D. 

All  rays  of  light  from  objects  above  the  water  which 
reach  the  trout  at  E  must  enter  the  water  within  the  circle 


92 


FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 


A  C  B  D.  Let  A  E  B  (see  Diagram  3)  be  a  vertical  section 
of  the  cone  in  Diagram  2,  cutting  the  surface  of  the  water  at 
A  B.  Then  the  rays  of  light  from  M  N  can  only  be  seen  by 
a  trout  situated  at  E,  when  they  enter  along  the  dotted  lines, 
N  B  E,  M  6  E,  and  the  fish  sees  M  N  as  in  the  direction  h  B, 
and  also  relatively  reduced  in  size  to  h  B. 

Objects  immediately  over  the  trout  will  suffer  least 
from  the  influence  of  refraction,  but  their  appearance  will 
suffer  the  more  as  they  leave  the  zenith  and  approach  the 
hozizon. 

To  the  trout  the  full  moon  as  it  rises  will  appear  as 
a  small  horizontal  line  of  light  forty-two  degrees  above  the 


^^^^s^s^^^^^^jr>$^ 


Diagram  2. 

a  ch  d,  A  B  C  D,  surface  of  water  ; 

E,  the  eye  of  trout ; 

E  A,  E  B,  E  C,  ED,  the  upward  cone  within  which  is  confined 
the  trout's  sight  of  all  objects  above  the  surface  of  the 
water  within  the  range  of  the  trout's  vision. 

real   horizon,   and  it   will    gradually    assume    its    circular 
shape  as  it  approaches  the  zenith. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  nearer  an  object  is  to  the 
water  level  when  outside  the  water,  the  less  will  be  the  angle 
which  it  will  relatively  subtend  to  the  fish  ;  in  other  words, 
the  lower  the  position  of  an  object  when  at  equal  distances, 
the  smaller  it  will  appear  to  the  fish. 


THE  SENSES  OF  A  TROUT 


93 


These  Factors  as  they  affect  the  Fisherman 

This  important  fact  is  taken  advantage  of  by  the  fisher- 
man, who,  although  he  may  not  understand  the  optical 
laws  of  refraction,  has  learnt  from  experience  that,  in  order 
to  avoid  scaring  the  fish,  he  must  crouch  as  much  as  possible 
and  thus  reduce  his  height,  and  that  an  overhead  cast  is 
more  likely  to  scare  a  fish  than  a  side  cast.  Not  that  he 
escapes  being  seen  when  within  the  limit  of  the  trout's 
vision,  but  his  bulk  and  that  of  his  rod  are  then  generally 


Diagram  3. 

A  E  B,  a  vertical  section  of  the  hollow  cone  in  Diagram  2, 

cutting  surface  of  water  at  A  B. 
M  N,  any  object  on  land,  such  as  a  man. 
E  6  M,  E  B  N,  the  lines  along  which  the  rays  of  light  from 

the  man  M  N  will  travel  to  the  fish. 
E  &,  E  B,  the  direction  in  which  the  trout  will  see  the  man. 
E  d  D,  E  d  D,  the  lines  showing  how  the  under  surface  of 

water  acts  as  a  mirror  to  the  trout  of  all  objects  under 

the  water  and  outside  the  cone  E  A  E  B. 


I 


insujSicient  to  frighten  the  fish  seriously.  Wading  is  for 
this  reason  the  best  method  of  approaching  fish.  Although 
a  man's  size  is  relatively  reduced  the  more  nearly  he  sinks 
to  the  level  of  the  water,  still,  in  ordinary  circumstances, 
he  is  clearly  visible  on  the  trout's  horizon  when  within 
that  part  of  the  zone  D  A  B  C,  Diagram  1.     If,  then,  this 


U  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

appearance  is  accompanied  by  an  invariable  agitation  of  the 
surface,  or  the  violent  appearance  of  lines  or  flies  over  a 
trout's  head,  even  the  most  unsophisticated  fish  will  quickly 
learn  to  associate  these  two  phenomena,  and  be  increasingly 
ready  to  take  fright  when  a  man  is  seen.  Hence  the 
necessity  for  caution  when  approaching  a  fish,  and  delicacy 
and  finesse  when  casting  on  the  part  of  the  fisherman — not 
only  on  his  own  account,  but  out  of  consideration  for  his 
brother  anglers.  The  lifting  of  the  line  from  the  water 
when  making  the  backward  cast  should  be  effected  in  the 
smoothest  and  the  most  delicate  manner  possible  for  the 
latter  reason. 

All  other  downward  rays  coming  to  the  eye  of  the  trout, 
save  those  which  enter  the  arc  subtended  by  the  cone  of  the 
trout's  vertical  vision,  are  external  to  the  cone,  and  are 
either  from  the  submerged  portion  of  some  floating  object, 
or  the  reflections  from  the  under  surface  of  the  water  of 
sub-aqueous  objects,  the  water,  in  this  latter  case,  acting 
outside  this  zone  as  a  huge  mirror  of  all  bodies  below  its 
surface  (see  E  ^  D,  E  ^  D,  Diagram  3). 

It  must  not  be  supposed  that  this  mirror  is  an  imbroken 
one,  for  every  object  falling  on  and  breaking  the  surface 
of  the  water  becomes  at  once  visible,  not  only  within  the 
zone  A.  C.  B.  D.,  Diagram  2,  but  outside  this  zone.  This 
is  an  important  point,  and  is  one  which  is  but  too  often 
over-iooked  by  the  fisherman.  I  have  frequently  met 
people  who  imagine  that,  because  they  throw  their  line 
so  that  it  does  not  fall  within  the  circle  A.  C.  B.  D.,  they  are 
by  so  doing  preventing  the  trout  from  seeing  it.  When 
coaching  Major  Sir  William  Evans  Gordon,  in  1909,  I  was 
explaining  the  method  of  avoiding  the  drag  by  throwing 
the  line  so  that  it  fell  in  an  up-stream  curve  on  the  water, 
and  he  suggested  the  advantage  that  this  cast  would  have 
in  presenting  the  fly  to  a  trout  immediately  up-stream.     He 


THE  SENSES  OF  A  TROUT  95 

was  correspondingly  disappointed  when  I  explained  to  him 
that  this  would  have  Uttle  or  no  effect  so  far  as  the  vision 
of  the  trout  was  concerned,  for  whatever  advantage  there 
might  be  in  preventing  the  line  from  falling  directly  over 
the  trout,  it  would  be  equally,  if  not  more  distinctly,  visible 
to  the  fish  as  it  broke  the  surface  to  either  side. 

It  may  be  taken  for  granted  that,  in  ordinary  circum- 
stances, when  a  fisherman  can  see  the  trout  the  trout  can 
see  him.  There  are,  however,  three  influencing  factors, 
which  must  always  be  considered  : 

1.  The  amount  of  light  falling  on  either. 

2.  The  glint  or  glare  in  the  eyes  of  one  or  the  other. 

3.  The  background  of  each. 

1.  The  first  may  be  considered  as  sometimes  favouring 
the  fish  and  sometimes  the  angler. 

2.  The  second  factor  will  be  mostly  in  favour  of  the  fish  ; 
the  fisherman  gets  most  if  not  all  of  the  glint  and  reflection 
from  the  surface,  though  the  glare  of  the  sun  must  handicap 
the  fish  to  a  great  extent. 

3.  The  third  factor  is  the  background,  which,  however, 
is  almost  invariably  in  favour  of  the  trout.  A  dark  back- 
ground is  of  the  greatest  importance  to  the  fisherman 
when  approaching  a  fish,  and  a  skyline  behind  is  always  to 
be  avoided.  If,  when  fishing  from  the  bank,  he  has  no 
near  background,  such  as  a  wood,  a  hedge,  a  wall  or  tree, 
etc.,  he  should  be  as  little  above  the  water  level  and  as 
much  behind  the  fish  as  is  possible.  Wading,  again,  for 
this  reason,  will  be  the  most  advantageous  position  for  the 
fly  fisherman. 

It  may  be  argued  that  the  appearance  of  the  waders 
below  the  surface,  when  within  the  zone  of  the  lateral 
vision  of  the  trout  (see  the  unshaded  portion  of  Diagram  1), 
will  scare  the  fish  more  than  the  appearance  of  the  fisher- 


96  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

man  above  the  water.  This  is  not  so,  however,  for  the  rays 
of  light  from  the  fisherman  on  the  bank,  say  at  forty  feet 
distance,  would  lose  nothing  in  passing  through  the  air  till 
they  strike  and  enter  the  water  (as  at  h  B,  Diagram  3)  ; 
they  will  then  only  have  some  two  to  four  feet  of  water  to 
pass  through  before  reaching  the  fish.  A  certain  amount  of 
light  will  be  undoubtedly  lost,  even  in  this  small  distance, 
owing  to  the  density  of  the  water,  but  the  vertical  depth 
of  the  fish  below  the  surface  of  any  trout  stream  will  never 
be  sufficiently  great  to  prevent  all  rays  reaching  it.  This 
density  of  the  water  will  cause  a  very  rapid  diminution  of  the 
rays  from  any  sub-aqueous  object,  as  horizontal  or  vertical 
distance  is  attained  ;  and  while  objects  may,  in  favourable 
circumstances,  be  still  visible  to  the  fish  twenty-five  feet 
away,  in  any  horizontal  direction  within  the  zone  of  its 
horizontal  sight,  they  may  in  calm,  still  waters  be  taken  as 
being  unnoticeable  in  ordinary  circumstances  at  a  distance 
of  about  thirty  feet.  In  rapid  running  water  the  rays  from 
any  object  will  be  still  further  lost  or  deflected  by  the  eddies, 
etc. 

From  my  own  experience  in  a  diving-dress  in  the  clear 
waters  of  the  Torres  Straits,  which  were  undisturbed  by  any 
ripples,  eddies,  etc.,  I  found  that  all  objects  in  the  horizontal 
plane  were  invisible  to  me  beyond  a  distance  of  about  twenty 
feet  :  the  head  of  a  shark  coming  towards  me  would  be 
visible  at  about  seventeen  feet,  while  its  tail  would  at  the 
same  time  be  quite  invisible  and  lost  in  the  misty  wall 
surrounding  me.*  It  may  be,  therefore,  confidently  assumed 
that  the  wader,  even  when  faced  by  the  trout,  will,  as  far  as 
his  waders  are  concerned,  be  unnoticed  by  the  trout  at  a 
distance  of  from  twenty-five  to  thirty-five  feet. 


*  While  this  limit  to  my  range  of  sight  may  have  been  due,  to  a  certain 
extent,  to  the  thick  glass  of  the  helmet  through  which  I  had  to  look,  the  greater 
part  of  it  would  be  due  to  the  absorption  of  light  by  the  water  itself. 


CHAPTER  VI 

PISCICULTURE  AND  A  FEW  REMARKS  ON  THE  NATURAL 
HISTORY  OF  THE  TROUT. 

Cultivation  of  trout — Consideration  when  breeding — ^The  description 
of  a  Trout  Fishery — ^The  Itchen  as  a  Trout  Stream — Relative 
values  of  food  stuflfe  for  trout — ^Trout  and  the  close  season — ^Time 
of  spawning — Close  season  too  short — Board  of  Conservators. 

The  scientific  development  of  the  most  delightful  of  all 
sports — namely,  fly  fishing  for  trout — has  produced  a 
corresponding  advancement  in  the  breeding  of  these 
beautiful  and  sporting  fish,  and  no  book  on  trout  fishing 
would  be  complete  without  a  reference  to  fish  culture. 
Pisciculture  as  an  occupation,  if  wisely  and  scientifically 
pursued,  will  not  only  create  a  fascinating  and  absorbing 
interest  for  the  one  who  takes  it  up,  but  it  should,  under 
favourable  circumstances,  become  a  remunerative  and  sound 
commercial  business.  Although  dating  back  to  the  early 
Egyptian  dynasties,  fish  culture  received  its  first  great 
impetus  in  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century,  when  the 
possibility  of  artificially  fecundating  the  ova  of  fish  was 
discovered  by  one  Stephen  Ludwig  Jacobi,  of  Hohenhausen, 
in  Westphalia.  It  was  not,  however,  until  1837  ^^^^  fish 
culture  was  inaugurated  in  Britain  by  a  Mr.  John  Shaw, 
who  fecundated  the  ova  of  salmon  and  reared  the  young 
fish. 

Trout  farms  have  become  numerous  in  England,  and  I 
wish  to  impress  on  the  student  the  advisability  of  not  only 
reading  and  studying  the  literature  of  trout  breeding,  but 
also,  by  personal  visits  to  any  trout-rearing  establishment 

97 


98  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

in  his  vicinity,  gaining  a  practical  knowledge  of  the  fish 
which  he  will  in  the  future  have  to  encounter. 

Consideration  when  Breeding 

It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  to  secure  strong  and 
healthily  reared  yearlings  and  two-year-old  fish  for  all 
streams,  lakes,  and  ponds  which  are  being  restocked, 
and  the  more  nearly  the  conditions  in  which  the  fry,  the 
yearlings,  and  the  two-year-old  fish  are  reared,  approach 
those  of  nature,  the  better  will  the  results  be.  Mr.  Living- 
stone Stone,  a  Fish  Commissioner  of  the  United  States  of 
America,*  guided  by  his  own  experience  and  that  of  every 
trout-breeding  establishment  with  which  he  had,  either 
as  manager  or  commissioner,  been  brought  into  contact, 
is  strongly  opposed  to  risking  breeding  ponds  in  the  channel 
of  any  stream  or  river,  and  advises  the  artificial  construction 
of  ponds,  fed  by  artificial  races.  These  ponds,  he  thinks, 
should  be  small  and  compact,  lined  with  wood,  and  freed 
from  any  danger  of  floods,  etc.  ;  and  he  recommends  the 
use  of  water  plants  as  affording  shelter  and  food  for  the 
trout. 

These  ideas,  sound  as  they  undoubtedly  are  when  the 
dangers  above  enumerated  are  considered,  have  been 
followed  more  or  less  by  English  pisciculturists,  and 
the  logical  consequence  of  these  artificial  surroundings 
has  been  a  loss  of  the  many  natural  advantages  of  the 
other  method — that  is,  of  having  trout  pounds  situated 
in  bye-channels  of  recognised  trout  streams. 

The  want  of  the  natural  food  carried  by  a  good  trout 
stream,  and  the  want  of  the  plentiful  supply  of  fresh 
running  river  water,  the  reliance  on  artificial  food,  the 
vicinity  of  the  keepers,  the  feeble  current,   etc.,   all  tell 

*  Author  of  "  Domesticated  Trout,"  a  book  full  of  information  and  interest 
to  all  fishermen,  published  by  The  Fishing  Gazette,  Ltd.,  19,  Adam  St., 
Adelphi,  W.C. 


PISCICULTURE  AND  NATURAL  HISTORY      99 

against  the  trout  reared  under  such  conditions.  For  one 
thing,  I  am  confident  that  trout  reared  under  these  con- 
ditions and  accustomed  to  be  hand  fed,  do  not,  when  they 
are  taken  to  stock  other  waters,  rise  to  the  fly  as  freely  as 
they  would  had  they  been  accustomed  to  depend  more  on 
natural  food  during  their  early  life. 

For  another  thing,  the  trout  do  not  grow  so  quickly, 
and  again,  they  are  not  accustomed  to  the  natural  food 
on  which  they  will  have  to  live  when  they  are  liberated. 
The  best  food  for  trout,  as  long  as  a  plentiful  supply  is 
available,  is  undoubtedly  water  insect  life  in  its  varying 
stages.  Small  fish,  such  as  minnows,  gudgeon,  etc.,  are 
the  next  best  food — although  trout,  when  fed  on  this  latter 
class  of  food,  frequently  develop  cannibalistic  tendencies — 
while  probably  the  food  least  beneficial,  in  an  all-round 
sense,  is  the  animal  food  on  which  hand-fed  trout  have 
frequently  to  depend. 

The  effort  which  is  demanded  from  the  ale vin  in  order  to 
resist  the  natural  movement  of  the  running  water  creates 
a  more  developed  and  more  powerful  fish. 

Taking  the  stock  fish  of  the  ordinary  trout-breeding 
establishment,  the  length  of  time  which  it  takes  them  to 
recover  from  their  breeding  operations  is  the  greater  owing 
to  this  artificial  and  restricted  flow  of  water.  Fungus  is  not 
so  easily  shaken  off,  neither  are  the  wounds  and  abrasions 
of  the  breeding-time  so  quickly  healed.  It  may  be  accepted 
as  a  fact  that  trout  should  have  plenty  of  water,  plenty  of 
space,  and  plenty  of  food,  and  the  more  natural  the  con- 
ditions of  these  three  factors  the  better  the  results  in  trout 
breeding. 

To  those,  therefore,  who  may  be  inclined  to  devote 
their  attention  to  trout  breeding,  I  would  strongly 
recommend  the  adoption  of  breeding  pounds  situated, 
when    possible   and    where   safe,    directly   in   the    by-paths 


100  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

of  some  portion  of  the  best  trout  stream  available.  As  an 
instance  in  point,  I  can  refer  to  the  Itchen  Trout  Breeding 
Establishment,  in  Hampshire,  the  breeding  pounds  of 
which  are  directly  in  the  flow  of  the  Itchen  River  at  Lower 
Chilland,  Itchen  Abbas. 

With  the  exception  of  the  hatcheries  themselves,  in  which 
spring  water  is  used,  all  the  troughs,  boxes,  pounds,  etc., 
are  directly  treated  to  a  plentiful  supply  of  river  water  ; 
the  fry — i.e.,  the  young  trout — immediately  after  passing 
out  of  the  alevin  or  yoke-sac  period  are  brought  up  directly 
in  the  life-bearing  and  cool  waters  of  the  Itchen,  and  the 
consequence  is  that,  both  as  yearlings,  as  two-year-old  fish 
and  onwards,  the  size  and  healthiness  of  all  the  trout  are 
phenomenal. 

The  Description  of  a  Trout  Fishery 

In  order  to  illustrate  the  natural  conditions  of  these 
remarkable  breeding  pounds,  I  have  shown  my  readers 
in  Plate  XL,  a  portion  of  these  pounds  as  they  occur  in 
the  bed  of  the  stream  looking  up  stream. 

This  Plate  shows  the  upper  pound  in  which  the  stock 
fish  (from  three  to  five  pounds)  are  kept.  The  river 
is  here  screened  off  and  so  controlled  by  hatches  that  the 
entire  flow  of  the  River  Itchen  (here  a  considerable  stream) 
can  be  poured  through  the  stock  pounds.  The  surplus 
current  of  the  river  runs  over  a  weir  to  the  right,  and  while 
the  screens  placed  across  so  rapid  a  river  as  the  Itchen 
require  careful,  and  during  weed  cutting  operations  constant 
attention,  the  advantages  to  the  fish  of  having  the  natural 
flow  of  the  river  water  is  great.  The  keepers  are  shown  as 
standing  on  the  lower  screens  of  the  upper  pounds,  and 
immediately  above  the  upper  end  of  the  pound  for  two  years 
old  fish,  which  extends  for  200  yards  down  stream. 

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PISCICULTURE  AND  NATURAL  HISTORY     101 

fish.  At  the  lower  end,  near  the  hatcheries,  the  river  is 
divided  into  three  other  pounds,  into  which  the  stock  fish 
are  drafted  during  the  breeding  season,  and  others  in  which 
certain  drafts  of  fish  are  kept  prior  to  being  dispatched  to 
their  final  destination  in  some  other  water. 

On  the  lower  side  of  the  home  pound  and  between  it  and 
the  main  river,  are  situated  innumerable  small  canals, 
carefully  screened,  into  which  the  river  water  is  directed, 
and  in  these  the  varying  classes  of  fry  of  the  brown  and 
rainbow  trout  are  reared.  It  is,  of  course,  in  these  lower 
breeding  ditches  that  there  is  the  problematical  danger 
of  flooding,  but  floods  are  practically  unknown  in  this 
portion  of  the  Itchen,  owing  to  the  rapid  flow  of  its  waters 
and  the  vicinity  of  its  source. 

The  Itchen  as  a  Trout  Stream. 
The  happy  reminiscences  associated  with  this  delightful 
pastime,  as  well  as  the  sporting  character  of  this  portion  of 
the  Itchen,  will  be  realized  by  the  following  letter  written 
to  me  by  the  former  owner  of  this  fishing. 

*'  February  26th,  1912. 
"  Dear  Shaw, 

*'  Your  handwriting  reminds  me  of  what,  alas  ! 
are  now  *  old  times  ' — of  times  that  for  me  can  never 
return  now,  for  my  rod  is  laid  aside  for  good,  and  all 
the  fishing  I  now  do  is  in  dreams. 

**  I  recall  the  first  day  on  which  you  fished  my 
water — it  seems  to  me  but  yesterday — though  more 
years  have  passed  than  I  like  to  think  of  since  that 
hot  summer  day,  when  I  met  you  at  the  station  and 
hastened,  as  we  walked  across  the  fields,  to  assure  you 
that  sport  could  be  but  small  on  so  bright  a  day,  and 
with  such  low  and  bright  water  as  we  then  had. 
How  well  I  remember  your  confident  rejoinder 
that   you   would   catch   some   fish   notwithstanding 


102  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

the  drawbacks  of  the  day,  and  your  going  on  to  ask 
what  should  be  done  with  the  fish  you  caught — did 
I  want  them,  or  should  they  be  returned  to  the  water  ? 
etc.,  and  my  response  that,  personally,  I  had  always 
found  it  safer  to  catch  the  fish  before  disposing  of 
them.  Then  when  at  the  river  side,  do  you  remember 
how  you  began  catching  fish  almost  immediately, 
and  kept  on  doing  so  during  the  remainder  of  the 
afternoon  ?  and,  if  I  remember  rightly,  your  total 
mounted  up  to  some  forty-five  (or  forty-seven,  was 
it?)* 

"  How  clearly  I  recall  the  lovely  clear  running 
stream,  and  your  figure  on  the  water.  I  had  many 
anglers  then,  but  do  not  remember  anyone  who  came 
near  to  that  record  day  of  yours,  and  it  ever  comes 
first  to  my  memory  when  I  think  of  my  fishing  days. 
Certainly,  though  living  on  the  water,  I  never  came 
near  such  figures  myself,  and  should  not  think  many 
better  records  existed  on  the  Itchen. 
"  Sincerely  yours, 

"  G.  R.  Bryant.'' 

Perhaps  I  may  be  forgiven  for  putting  in  so  eulogistic 
a  reference  to  myself,  but  I  am  certain  that  to  the  majority 
of  my  readers  it  may  recall  the  delights  of  similar  happy 
days,  and  in  any  case  it  tends  to  show  how  the  pleasant 
memories  of  such  times  linger  in  the  minds  of  fishermen 
even  when  they  are  at  last  compelled  to  lay  down  their 
rod  and  creel. 

A  river,  then,  which  can  support  such  a  wonderful 
number  of  wild  fish  is  eminently  suited  for  trout  rearing, 
and  the  trout  which  are  reared  at  Lower  Chilland  breeding 
pounds  fully  establish  the  advantages  which  I  claim  for 
such   a    method.     There  are  probably  not  many  rivers  in 

♦  My  friend  is  correct  as  to  the  number  of  the  fish;  all  but  nine  of  these  fish 
were  returned  to  the  river  or  placed  in  the  stock  pounds.  The  keeper's  estimate 
of  the  weight  of  the  fish  was  that  they  averaged  i|  lbs. 


PISCICULTURE  AND  NATURAL  HISTORY     103 

England  so  favourably  situated  in  every  way  to  produce 
such  happy  results,  but  where  such  exist  this  system  is 
well  worthy  of  trial. 

The  Relative  Value  of  Food  Stuffs  for  Trout 

The  relative  value  to  trout  of  the  best  varieties  of  the 
different  food  stuffs  may  be  roughly  estimated  as  follows. 

If  fed  on  :—  Increase  in  weight. 

Water  insects  in  their  larval  or  flying  condition        . .  . .         ioo% 

Meat  50% 

Fish  38% 

Cereal  or  bread  stuff        ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  12% 

There  also  appears  to  be  a  distinction,  attendant  on  their 
food,  in  the  habits  of  the  young  trout,  the  insect  eaters  being, 
as  a  rule,  more  active  and  better  shaped.  It  seems, 
however,  that  the  large  size  to  which  New  Zealand  trout 
attain  is  largely  due  to  the  presence  of  a  very  great  quantity 
of  small  silver-hued  fish,  locally  called  Whitebait. 

Some  idea  of  the  size  of  the  fish  in  the  Lower  Chilland 
Hatcheries  may  be  gathered  from  the  fact  that  the  two-year- 
old  fish,  ready  for  delivery  in  January,  average  nine  inches, 
but  that  a  certain  number  of  two-year-old  fish  attain  twelve 
inches  in  length  in  April  of  the  same  year.  The  fish  in  the 
Lower  Chilland  Hatcheries  are  largely  bred  from  ova  taken 
from  the  wild  fish  of  the  Itchen. 

Variations  in  the  temperature  of  the  air  and  water 
exercise  a  most  important  influence  on  aquatic  life. 

The  relative  increase  in  the  temperature  of  water  assists 
and  quickens  the  incubation  of  all  sub-aqueous  eggs,  and 
hastens  the  metamorphosis  of  all  insect  life. 

Under  favourable  circumstances  the  rapid  growth  of  a 
trout  is  extraordinary.  Trout  from  the  upper  waters  of  the 
Dart,  where  natural  food  is  scarce,  and  the  fish  in  conse- 
quence are  small,  quickly  grow  to  a  very  large  size  when 


104  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

placed  in  the  more  productive  waters  of  ponds  and  reservoirs. 
Trout  will  feed  better  in  fairly  temperate  weather  than  when 
it  is  very  cold,  and  a  rise  in  temperature  after  a  cold  spell 
is  productive  of  good  sport,  due  to  the  improved  appetite 
of  the  fish,  to  the  greater  activity  of  insect  life,  and  some- 
times to  their  quick  recovery  after  spawning.  Trout  lose 
their  desire  for  food  as  the  spawning  time  approaches,  and 
though  they  commence  feeding  after  it  is  over,  they  do  not 
regain  their  full  feeding  powers  until  the  warm  spring 
weather  is  reached. 

Trout  and  the  Close  Season 

I  am  inclined  to  think  that  to  the  majority  of  trout 
fishermen  the  natural  history  of  the  Salmonidae  is  as  a 
sealed  book.  Fishing  to  them  is  but  a  pastime  to  which 
the  most  delightful  hours  of  their  outdoor  life  are  devoted, 
and  save  during  the  moments  which  are  spent  in  the  actual 
pursuit  of  this  sport  their  interest  in  these  game  fish  seems 
to  disappear. 

The  life  of  the  trout  during  the  close  season,  for  instance, 
is  practically  unknown  to  the  average  fisherman,  and 
while  the  necessity  of  observing  such  a  period  is  recognized, 
the  wisdom  of  the  limits  imposed  by  the  various  fishing 
associations  is  but  seldom  considered,  and  receives  but  a 
small  proportion  of  the  criticism  which  is  deserved  by  so 
momentous  a  subject. 

Are  trout  sufficiently  protected  by  the  present  limits  of 
the  close  season  ? 

In  order  to  strengthen  my  own  impressions  in  this  matter 
and  to  avoid  the  possibility  of  mistake,  I  wrote  in  1906  to  the 
managers  of  several  breeding  establishments,  to  gentlemen 
interested  in  trout  breeding,  and  to  those  in  charge  of  various 
trout  fisheries,  asking  them  to  give  me  their  experience  as 
to  the  period  which  covers  the  loss  of  appetite  prior  to 


PISCICULTURE  AND  NATURAL  HISTORY     105 

spawning,  the  dates  on  which  the  trout  in  their  immediate 
neighbourhood  commence  and  cease  to  spawn,  and  the  length 
of  the  period  taken  by  trout  to  recover  from  their  spawning 
operations. 

Times  of  Spawning 

From  the  information  which  was  then  placed  at  my 
disposal,  and  which  has  since  been  confirmed  by  my  own 
experience,  it  may  be  taken  as  certain  that  the  general 
limit  of  the  period  during  which  wild  and  domesticated  trout 
spawn  is  from  October  15th  to  the  end  of  January,  although 
trout  are  known  to  spawn  as  late  as  the  middle  of  February. 
The  average  period  during  which  most  trout  spawn, 
however,  may  be  accepted  as  occurring  between  October  25th 
and  January  12th,  the  temperature  of  the  weather  and  the 
amount  of  water  in  the  rivers  considerably  affecting  even 
this  early  or  late  spawning  season.  Trout  in  their  natural 
condition  suffer  a  loss  of  appetite  commencing  from  eight  to 
three  weeks  prior  to  spawning,  this  loss  of  appetite  depending 
to  a  considerable  extent  on  their  condition  towards  the  end 
of  the  fishing  season.  If  the  trout  have  experienced  a  warm 
summer,  with  plenty  of  food  in  the  shape  of  insect  life,  their 
condition  early  in  the  autumn  will  be  good,  and  a  more 
extended  period  of  fasting  may  be  expected  prior  to 
spawning.  In  some  cases  they  begin  to  feed  immediately 
after  spawning,  and,  if  the  circumstances  are  favourable, 
will  be  clean  and  in  good  condition  from  three  to  four 
weeks  afterwards.  If,  however,  the  conditions  are  unfavour- 
able, they  may  not  commence  to  feed  for  several  days  after 
spawning  has  ceased,  and  their  complete  recovery  will  be 
relatively  delayed  if  the  weather  be  unfavourable. 

The  importance  of  a  careful  consideration  of  the  above 
facts  when  deciding  the  limits  of  the  close  time  will  be 
better  appreciated  when  it  is  thoroughly  understood  that, 


106  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

from  the  time  the  fish  begin  to  lose  their  appetite  prior  to 
spawning  until  they  have  entirely  recovered  their  condition 
after  spawning,  they  are  unclean  and  not  fit  for  human 
food. 

Those  fish  that  do  happen  to  feed  as  their  spawning 
operations  approach — and  this  may  happen  during  the  open 
season — appear  to  suffer  at  times  from  a  disease  of  the 
intestines,  and  are  afflicted  with  worms.  Strict  laws 
should  therefore  be  made  and  enforced  in  order  to  prevent 
the  possibility  of  trout  being  captured  and  destroyed  when 
near  spawning  time,  or  when  their  condition  renders  them 
unfit  for  human  food. 

Close  Season  too  Short 

It  is  the  opinion  of  many  fishermen  that  trout  fishing 
opens  in  some  districts  at  too  early  and  closes  at  too  late 
a  date.  The  fisherman  whose  experience  has  extended  over 
many  districts,  and  who  has  fished  early  and  late  in  the 
season,  will  recall  the  frequent  capture  of  ill-conditioned  or 
dirty  fish  at  the  beginning  and  towards  the  close  of  the 
different  seasons.  These  are  fish  which  have  begun  to  feel 
the  influence  of,  or  which  have  not  recovered  from,  the 
spawning  season.  Such  fish  should,  of  course,  in  all  cases 
be  returned  to  the  water,  but  it  would  be  wiser  that  the 
chances  of  killing  or  injuring  these  fish  should  in  no  case  be 
incurred. 

Meteorological  conditions  affect  the  time  of  spawning, 
and  also  affect  the  length  of  the  period  which  it  takes  a 
trout  to  recover  after  the  spawning  operations  are  over. 
This  is  especially  so  in  the  wild  fish.  Even  in  the  same 
districts  spawning  conditions  vary  very  considerably  ;  not 
only  the  temperature  of  the  atmosphere,  but  the  tempera- 
ture of  the  water  in  two  neighbouring  streams,  will  produce 
a  relatively  early  or  later  spawning  season,  as  the  case  may 


PISCICULTURE  AND  NATURAL  HISTORY     107 

be.  The  locality  of  the  rise  of  each  river  should  be 
considered,  as  well  as  the  rise  of  each  of  its  tributaries. 
The  snowfall  and  the  meteorological  circumstances  of  each 
season  should  be  carefully  considered  twice  a  year,  and  any 
hard-and-fast  period  selected  for  the  opening  and  closing  of 
the  trout-fishing  season  should  therefore  be  modified  by  the 
peculiar  circumstances  of  each  river  and  each  season. 
Trout  fishing  can  be  legally  pursued  between  February  ist 
and  October  2nd,  except  in  those  districts  in  which  the  con- 
servators have  wisely  extended  the  length  of  the  close  season. 
It  is  unnatural,  foolish,  and  unsportsmanlike,  to  permit 
fishing  during  periods  in  which  ill-conditioned  fish  can  be 
caught ;  but  at  the  present  time  many  rivers  are  deprived 
every  season  of  a  considerable  quantity  of  ova,  and  suffer  the 
loss  of  many  ill-conditioned  fish  owing  to  an  insufiiciently 
extended  close  time.  For  these  reasons  alone  it  is  advis- 
able that  the  close  season  in  many  districts  should  be  still 
further  extended.  Many  of  the  March  fish  caught  in  the 
Welsh  rivers  during  a  hard  spring,  for  instance,  are  as  unfit 
for  human  food  as  is  the  salmon-kelt.  The  fish  on  the  first 
warm  day  are  ravenous,  and  at  such  times  they  will  take 
any  bait,  no  matter  how  unskilfully  it  may  be  offered  to 
them.  As  a  natural  consequence,  the  rivers  lose  many  of 
their  best  fish  before  the  latter  are  in  a  condition  either 
to  discriminate  as  to  the  choice  of  their  food,  or  to  have  a 
sporting  chance  of  successfully  fighting  for  their  lives,  to  say 
nothing  of  their  being  in  such  cases  quite  unfit  for  food. 

The  Board  of  Conservators 

The  opening  of  the  trout-fishing  season  is  regulated 
by  the  fishery  conservators,  and  if  the  gentlemen  controlling 
these  associations  could  only  be  induced,  in  the  interests 
of  the  rivers  they  control,  to  consider  the  causes  which  lead 
to  the  depopulated  condition    of  certain  rivers  in  June  and 


108  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

July,  it  is  probable  they  would  defer  the  opening  day  from 
the  middle  of  February  to  the  middle  of  March,  or  even 
later.  I  have  noticed  that  local  fishermen  on  many  Welsh 
streams  seem  to  regard  their  legitimate  fishing  as  over  by 
the  end  of  May,  and  judging  by  the  big  creels  which  they  are 
able  to  obtain  in  February,  March,  and  April  it  is  little 
wonder  that  they  leave  the  rivers  and  the  few  remaining 
trout  during  the  summer  months  to  the  anxious  attention  of 
their  visitors,  whose  dry  fly  but  too  frequently  falls  on 
waters  from  which  nearly  every  trout  of  takable  size  has 
disappeared.  It  must  be  evident  that  with  late  spawning 
fish  and  a  very  hard  January,  February,  and  March,  it  is 
a  mistake  to  permit  trout  fishing  to  open  in  February,  or 
indeed  until  the  great  majority  of  fish  in  each  particular 
river  have  recovered  their  condition.  Rivers  in  which  the 
trout  spawn  late  are  said  to  produce  the  best  results,  as  the 
alevin  emerges  into  the  world  under  more  favourable  con- 
ditions so  far  as  temperature  and  weather  are  concerned  ; 
but  in  each  district,  whether  it  be  relatively  early  or  relatively 
late  in  its  spawning,  contradictory  as  it  may  seem,  the  early 
spawners  produce  the  best  results. 


CHAPTER  VII 

WET    FLY    FISHING.    SPINNING,    KNOTS,    WEEDS,  AND 
GENERAL    INFORMATION 

Wet  fly  fishing  up-stream — Striking — Arrangement  of  flies  on  cast 
— Spinning  during  the  summer  months — ^The  single-handed 
spinning  rod  and  reel — Casting  from  the  reel — Ambidexterity — 
Knots^^ex  of  trout — Weeds — Fungus — Selection  of  flies  when 
by  the  waterside — ^The  cap  as  a  fly  holder — Dry  fly  fishing  with 
three  flies — ^Moths — ^The  broken  rod — Whipping  a  broken  rod 
— Bulging  trout — Keeping  the  Une  clear — Changing  the  fly  after 
dark. 

Wet  Fly  Fishing  Up-Stream 

Wading  is  almost  imperative  in  open  water  when  wet 
fly  fishing  up  stream,  and  though  this  style  of  fishing  may, 
during  the  earlier  and  colder  months  of  the  year,  be  more 
productive  than  dry  fly  fishing,  it  is  not  every  one  who  cares 
to  invite  rheumatism  or  endure  the  cold  inseparable  from 
wading  during  March  and  April. 

When  fishing  up-stream  with  the  wet  fly,  the  line,  after 
the  flies  have  touched  the  water,  should  be  kept  straight. 
The  tail  flies  should  not  as  a  rule  sink  more  than  a  few 
inches  below  the  surface,  the  first  dropper  only  an  inch 
or  so,  and  the  upper  dropper  should  skim  the  water.  The 
cast  being  made,  the  fisherman  should  take  in  the  slack  as  the 
flies  come  back  with  the  stream,  and  a  slight  jigging  motion 
may  be  imparted  to  them.  The  rise  of  the  fish  is  almost 
invariably  seen,  and  success  depends,  therefore,  on  four 
things — the  choice  of  flies,  the  fisherman's  ability  to  throw 
a  line,  his  quickness  in  striking,  and  his  knowledge  of  a 
fishing  stream.     This  method  of  wet  fly  fishing  is  not  only 

109 


no  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

highly  successful,  but  far  more  interesting  than  fishing 
down-stream.  Wading  is  almost  a  sine  qua  non,  as  the 
bank  is  too  conspicuous  a  place  for  the  angler  ;  and  this  is 
the  drawback  of  wet  fly  fishing  up-stream,  for  the  line  must 
as  a  rule  be  fished  short,  and  a  fisherman,  having  to  use 
a  short  line,  must  of  necessity  be  closer  to  his  fish  than  in 
dry  fly  fishing.  The  greater  the  stream  lore  of  the  fisherman, 
other  things  being  equal,  the  greater  will  be  his  success. 
Rising  fish  will  naturally  induce  special  attention. 

Wet  fly  fishing  up-stream  possesses  many  of  the  charms  of 
dry  fly  fishing,  and  as  a  sport  it  comes  next  to  it  in  scientific 
interest  and  pleasure.  The  object  of  jigging  the  wet  fly 
when  in  the  water  is  to  imitate  the  action  of  the  nymph 
or  pupae  when  swimming;  the  object  of  letting  it  float 
steadily  down  with  the  current  being  to  imitate  the  drowned 
sub-imago.  Hence,  when  drowned  sub-imago  are  not 
present,  and  the  pupae  are  being  taken  by  the  trout  (any 
captured  trout  will  readily  solve  this  point),  a  series  of  little 
movements  should  be  given  to  the  drifting  flies  by  tiny  jerks 
of  the  point  of  your  rod.  After  a  thunderstorm,  when 
numbers  of  drowned  sub-imago  are  coming  down,  the  pupae 
are  not  as  a  rule  moving,  and  it  is  better  to  allow  the  fly  to 
drift  down  with  the  current. 

Striking 

In  wet  fly  fishing  up-stream  the  fly  at  which  the  fish  rises  is 
near  the  surface.  The  motion  of  the  fish,  or  perhaps  the 
fish  itself,  can  be  seen,  and  the  strike  may  therefore  be  made 
either  at  the  time  the  rise  is  seen  or  the  touch  is  felt.  When, 
however,  the  fly  is  well  below  the  surface,  as  in  wet  fly  fishing 
down-stream,  the  first  intimation  the  fisherman  gets  that 
a  trout  has  taken  one  of  his  flies  is  the  pluck  or  pull  at  his 
fly.  In  most  cases  this  pluck  in  itself  is  quite  sufficient  to 
hook  the  fish,  and  therefore,  in  so  many  as  eight  cases  out  of 


WET  FLY  FISHING,  ETC.  Ill 

ten,  the  hooking  of  a  fish  with  a  wet  fly  down-stream  cannot 
be  claimed  as  being  due  to  any  skill  or  quickness  in  striking  ; 
while  in  at  least  eight  cases  out  of  ten  the  fish  hooked  with 
a  dry  fly  or  wet  fly  up-stream  may  be  fairly  claimed  by  the 
angler  as  due  to  his  skill  in  striking.  An  immediate  strike 
when  the  fly  is  taken  by  the  fish  below  the  surface  of  the 
water  is  seldom  advisable  ;  and  equally  it  is  true  that  an 
immediate  strike  is  in  nearly  every  case  advisable  if  the 
fly  be  taken  when  floating  on  the  surface. 

Arrangement  of  Flies  on  Cast 

When  two,  three  or  more  flies  are  being  used  on  a  cast, 
the  question  as  to  the  best  distance  which  should  separate 
them  is  an  important  one. 

With  a  short  cast  it  is  generally  advisable  to  use  only 
two  flies. 

In  wet  fly  fishing  down-stream  a  long  gut  cast  should  be 
employed,  as  more  space  can  be  allowed  between  each  fly 
than  when  using  a  short  cast. 

If  the  flies  which  are  being  used  are  of  a  large  pattern, 
plenty  of  room  should  be  allowed  between  each  one,  but  this 
space  can  be  reduced  as  the  cast  becomes  finer  and  the  flies 
smaller.  In  discoloured  water,  again,  a  shorter  distance 
between  each  fly  may  be  arranged  even  when  using  a  fairly 
large  pattern  of  fly.  In  selecting  the  tail  fly,  the  one  most 
likely  to  attract  the  fish  should  be  used,  and  the  droppers, 
as  the  other  flies  are  called,  should  be  attached  to  the  cast 
by  a  length  of  gut  not  more  than  three  inches  from  the  cast 
to  the  fly.  Single-winged  flies  should  be  used,  with  a  fairly 
stiff  hackle.  I  think  one  gold-ribbed  fly  should  always  be 
used  on  a  cast.  Experience  acquired  on  any  particular 
stream,  tempered  by  the  size  of  the  fly  and  the  condition  of 
the  water,  will  be  the  best  guide  as  to  the  arrangement  of 
your  wet  fly  cast. 


112  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

Spinning  for  Trout  in  the  Summer  Months 

The  scientific  improvements  which  have  been  made  in 
spinning  reels,  rods,  lines  and  lures,  are  rapidly  bringing 
that  method  of  fishing  more  and  more  into  popular  favour. 

Spinning  for  trout,  however,  has  not  advanced  so 
rapidly  as  spinning  for  salmon,  and  the  reason  is  not  far 
to  seek.  It  lies  in  the  fact  that  dry  fly  fishing  for  trout, 
comparing  it  with  fly  fishing  for  salmon,  is  infinitely  more 
interesting. 

As  certain  of  our  rivers  and  streams  hold  trout  whose 
size  renders  their  presence  undesirable — first,  because  their 
food  consists  principally  of  members  of  their  own  species, 
and  secondly,  because  it  does  not  consist  of  the  flying 
varieties  of  water  insects — a  few  words  on  that  by  no  means 
easy  method  of  angling,  viz.,  spinning  for  trout  in  the  summer 
months,  may  be  welcome  to  my  readers. 

I  am  not  for  the  moment  alluding  to  spinning  for  trout 
during  the  colder  months  of  the  year.  There  is  a  great  and 
distinctive  difference  between  the  man  who  uses  a  minnow 
in  the  discoloured  water  of  the  early  spring  months,  and  who 
allows  the  tumble  and  rush  of  the  river  in  which  his  lure  is 
cast  to  do  the  work  for  him,  and  the  man  who  delights  in 
the  difficulty  of  catching  his  trout  in  the  dead,  low,  clear 
water  of  the  summer  time.  The  greater  difiiculty  and 
the  more  interest  must  centre  in  spinning  during  the  summer, 
and  when  the  lure  is  used  in  clear  water,  in  perhaps  an 
almost  empty  stream  and  in  the  blazing  sun.  The  lure 
may  be  used  either  in  searching  the  shallows  of  our  smaller 
streams,  or  thrown  far  out  beyond  the  reach  of  the  dry  fly 
man  and  into  the  rapid  runs  and  glides  of  our  larger  rivers  ; 
and  whether  it  is  the  natural  minnow  with  tackle  consisting 
of  at  most  two  triangles,  a  lip  hook,  and  the  finest  of  traces, 
which  is  extended  by  the  rod  from  a  slack  line  held  in  the 
hand  of  the  fisherman,  or  an  artificial  spinning  minnow, 


WET  FLY  FISHING,  ETC.  113 

thrown  from  the  latest  and  most  improved  form  of  spinning 
reel — the  sport  is  most  enjoyable. 

I  will  first  of  all  discuss  the  method  of  upstream  fishing 
in  low,  clear  water,  with  a  natural  minnow  and  the  lightest 
of  tackle. 

The  Single-handed  Spinning  Rod  and  Reel 

The  rod  to  be  used  when  spinning,  whether  a  single  or 
double-handed  one,  should  have  an  action  similar  to  a  very 
stiff  fly  rod,  but  should  be  furnished  with  fewer  and  larger 
line  rings. 

The  reel  to  be  used  will  depend  on  the  manner  of  casting. 
If  casting  from  the  hand,  an  ordinary  fly  reel  is  perfectly 
suitable,  but  if  casting  from  the  reel,  some  form  of  Nottingham 
reel  will  be  necessary. 

The  line  should  be  silk,  very  carefully  dressed,  or — which 
I  prefer — an  undressed  silk  line,  as  fine  as  is  consistent  with 
the  work  for  which  it  is  required. 

The  trace  should  be  from  one  to  one  and  a  half 
yards  in  length,  and  furnished  with  at  least  two  double 
swivels. 

Spinning  flights  are  supplied  in  many  different  patterns, 
and  it  is  therefore  impracticable  to  describe  them,  but  in 
my  opinion  the  fewer  hooks  the  better.  When  the  natural 
minnow  is  used,  it  should  be  small,  not  more  than  two 
inches  in  length,  and  as  bright  and  fresh  as  is  obtain- 
able. 

The  method  of  spinning  from  the  hand  is  as  follows  : — 
The  minnow  should  be  held  in  the  left  hand,  and  should  not 
reach  below  the  reel  when  the  rod  is  upright.  A  certain 
amount  of  slack  line  should  be  drawn  off  the  reel — say  a 
couple  of  yards — and  should  be  held  by  the  middle  finger 
of  the  right  hand  against  the  handle — that  is  when  the  right 
hand  is  holding  the  rod.     The  rod  should  then  be  raised 


114  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

from  the  horizontal  position  and  switched  outward  and 
upward,  and  at  the  same  time  the  left  hand  should  relinquish 
the  lure,  which  will  swing  outward,  and  as  it  reaches  the 
end  of  its  swing  the  slack  line  can  be  released  by  relaxing 
the  pressure  of  the  middle  finger  of  the  right  hand.  As 
the  bait  shoots  forward  to  its  destination  the  rod  should 
be  lowered. 

The  motion  imparted  to  the  lure  by  the  movement  of  the 
rod  will  give  it  enough  impetus  to  draw  the  slack  line  through 
the  rings  ;  in  other  words,  the  weight  of  the  lure  will,  by 
the  upward  swing  of  the  rod,  be  great  enough  to  shoot  the 
slack  line  which  has  been  retained  by  the  right  middle 
finger. 

The  lure  should  be  cast  up-stream  with  as  light  and 
delicate  an  action  as  possible,  and  directly  the  bait  has 
entered  the  water  it  should  be  drawn  in  again  by  the  left 
hand,  and  brought  across  or  down  stream,  every  place 
likely  to  harbour  a  trout  being  carefully  searched.  The 
lure  should  be  allowed  to  sink  as  deeply  as  possible  without 
actually  touching  the  bottom. 

Having  once  become  capable  of  casting  delicately  with 
this  short  length  of  line — which,  however,  is  generally 
sufiicient  when  wading  and  fishing  up-stream — you  can,  in 
order  to  command  a  larger  area  of  water,  gradually  learn 
to  draw  off  more  slack  line,  holding  it  in  three  or  four  coils 
over  the  different  fingers  of  the  left  hand. 

Lead  may  have  to  be  used  for  the  purpose  of  sinking  the 
bait,  but  the  smaller  the  quantity  used  the  better.  The 
tackle  should  be  always  of  the  very  finest  character. 

Casting  from  the  Reel 

Casting  from  the  reel  necessitates  a  steady  side  swing  of 
the  rod,  but  more  lead  will  have  to  be  used  with  the  lure 
than  when  casting  with  the  slack  line,  as  inertia  and  the 


WET  FLY  FISHING,  ETC.  115 

frictional  resistance  of  the  drum  on  its  spindle  will  have  to 
be  overcome.* 

In  casting  from  the  reel  the  bait  is  not  held  in  the  left 
hand,  but  suspended  about  three  or  four  feet  below  the  top 
ring,  the  rod  being  brought  steadily  back  and  sideways, 
and  the  forward  cast  made  with  a  steady  switching  action 
from  the  elbow  round  sideways  and  forward.  As  the  bait 
attains  centrifugal  speed  the  drum  of  the  reel  is  allowed  to 
rotate  freely. 

With  the  old-fashioned  Nottingham  reel  the  drum  is 
prevented  from  revolving  by  one  of  the  fingers  of  the  left 
hand,  and  is  released  at  the  required  moment ;  the  finger 
again  acquiring  a  slightly  checking  control  in  order  to 
prevent  over  running  as  the  bait  flies  forward  to  its  destina- 
tion, and  it  eventually  stops  the  rotating  action  of  the 
drum  as  the  lure  touches  the  water. 

The  minnow,  whether  artificial  or  natural,  is  then  worked 
through  the  water,  being  again  allowed  to  sink  as  deeply  as 
is  safe,  the  line  being  reeled  up  in  order  to  keep  the  lure  off 
the  bottom  and  to  give  it  its  necessary  speed  through  the 
water,  the  rod  being  kept  well  down  and  assisting  the  reel 
in  this  object. 

This  manner  of  casting  is  of  course  the  better,  as  the  fish, 
when  hooked,  is  at  once  in  play  from  the  reel  instead  of 
from  loose  coils,  but  it  is  more  difficult  to  learn  owing  to  the 
tendency  of  the  reel  to  over-run.  It  is  also  more  difficult 
to  throw  accurately  in  the  desired  direction. 

When  fishing  with  any  variation  of  the  spinning  reel, 
the  lure  can  be  cast  much  further — either  up-stream,  across 
stream,  or  down  stream — and  worked  in  the  best  possible 
manner  to  secure  the  attention  of  the  fish. 


*  It  is  right  that  mention  should  be  made  here  of  the  excellent  principle 
embodied  in  the  lUingworth  reel,  which  is  thoroughly  suitable  to  this  method 
of  spinning. 


116  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

When  angling  for  large  fish  the  more  slowly  and  the  more 
directly  the  bait  can  be  brought  to  their  notice  the  better. 

Natural  minnows,  artificial  minnows,  and  spoon  baits 
can  be  used  for  this  method  of  spinning. 

The  advantages  of  spinning  across  and  down  stream  are 
these:  a  much  slower  method  can  be  adopted,  and  the 
pressure  of  the  down-stream  current  will  assist  the  spinning 
of  the  spoon,  the  minnow,  etc. 

I  am  dealing  now  almost  exclusively  with  the  spinning 
during  fine  weather,  and  in  clear  water,  and  therefore  I 
wish  again  to  impress  on  the  fisherman  the  necessity  of 
using  as  light  a  lure  and  lead  as  possible.  Many  artificial 
lures,  such  as  that  excellent  one — the  Reflet  Minnow,* 
patented  by  Messrs.  Wyers  Freres — are  sufficiently  heavy 
in  themselves. 

If  it  be  true  that  the  great  majority  of  fishermen  consider 
that  the  present  method  of  arming  the  natural  or  arti- 
ficial minnow  with  a  number  of  triangle  hooks  is  prejudicial 
to  the  best  interests  of  sport,  then  I  think  they  would 
welcome  laws  which  prohibited  the  use  of  more  than  one 
hook  to  each  lure,  or  at  least  more  than  one  triangle  to  each 
lure.  Quite  apart  from  the  fact  that  a  number  of  triangles 
lead  to  the  lure  being  repeatedly  caught  in  the  weeds, 
snags,  etc.,  etc.,  the  fish  which  are  caught  are  very  frequently 
unable  to  make  a  fight  for  their  lives,  both  their  upper 
and  their  lower  jaws  being  firmly  locked  together  by  these 
triangles,  and  when  they  succeed  in  escaping  they  are  so 
badly  mutilated  that  they  cannot  possibly  recover. 

I  was  watching  a  fisherman  spinning  on  the  Wye  a  little 
time  ago,  and  he  got  into  a  good  sized  fish.  He  brought  the 
fish  nearly  up  to  his  landing  net  when  it  got  away,  and  on 
one  of  the  triangles  of  the  lure  we  found  the  eye  of  the 
fish,  which  happened  to  be  a  chub.    Evidently  the  chub  had 

*  This  can  be  obtained  from  Messrs.  G.  Little  and  Co.,  63,  Haymarket,  S.W. 


WET  FLY  FISHING,  ETC.  117 

been  hooked  in  the  mouth  by  one  of  the  upper  triangles, 
and  the  tail  triangle  must  have  swung  over  and  caught  its 
eye. 

Ambidexterity  in  Casting  a  Fly 

The  student  should  be  able  to  use  either  hand  when 
manipulating  his  rod.  There  is  fortunately  no  difficulty 
in  doing  this  when  once  the  mental  process  of  casting  is 
acquired.  Many  a  good  rising  fish  and  many  a  difficult 
but  likely  spot  in  the  stream  may  be  reached  by  him  alone 
who  can  cast  with  either  hand. 

There  is  always  the  danger  of  a  disabled  right  or  left 
hand  or  arm,  and  even  when  both  arms  are  sound  there 
are  times  when  a  change  of  hand  is  not  only  pleasant 
but  necessary.  I  remember  in  1897,  while  fishing  on  the 
Wutach,  getting  an  acute  attack  of  fisherman's  elbow  in 
my  right  arm,  and  for  several  days  at  a  time  the  ability 
to  use  my  left  hand  in  casting  enabled  me  to  enjoy  my  sport 
with  comfort  and  pleasure,  when  to  use  my  right  hand  gave 
me  considerable  pain. 

Knots  used  in  Trout  Fishing 

Hardly  a  book  on  fishing  has  been  written  which  has  not 
dealt  with  the  subject  of  the  knots  which  are  used  by 
fishermen  when  fastening  the  line  to  the  casts,  fastening 
two  parts  of  a  broken  cast  together,  attaching  a  dropper  to 
the  cast  or  the  gut  to  the  hook.  It  is,  however,  desirable, 
while  treating  this  subject  fully,  to  do  so  in  as  simple  a 
manner  as  possible. 

The  overhand  knot  is  the  easiest  of  all  knots  (see 
Diag.  4,  Fig.  3)  and  yet  it  is  one  on  which  practically  all 
other  knots  are  based.  The  best  method,  in  my  opinion, 
and  the  one  I  recommend  for  attaching  an  end  of  gut  to 
an  eyed  hook  (see  Fig.  2)  is  to  pass  the  end  of  the  gut 


118  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

through  the  eye  of  the  fly,  and  then  to  form  an  overhand 
knot  round  the  unthreaded  portion  of  the  gut,  so  that 
the  end  Hes  alongside  and  pointing  up  the  cast,  away  from 
the  hook  (see  Diagram  4,  Fig.  2,  and  Diagram  5,  Fig.  4). 
The  overhand  knot  thus  made,  is  drawn  tight  and  is  then 
pulled  down  towards  the  eye  of  the  fly,  and  its  end  cut  off, 
(see  Fig.  2,  Diagram  4). 

This  forms  the  safest  knot  which  can  be  used  on  small 
flies,  and  is  the  one  which  I  have  used  and  advocated  for 


Fig.  I. 


Fig.  2.  Fig.  3. 

Diagram  4. 
Fig.  I. — Method  of  attaching  dropper  to  line. 
Fig.  2. — Overhand  knot  drawn  taut  on  the  eye  of  hook. 
Fig.  3. — Overhand  knot  loose. 

many  years  to  all  whom  I  have  coached.  In  the  patent 
fibres  which  are  now  being  sold  in  place  of  gut  this  overhand 
knot  should  be  made  with  two  instead  of  one  turn 
to  its  end.  This  fibre  appears  to  me  to  possess  many 
advantages,  but    one   of  its   disadvantages    is   that   when 


WET  FLY  FISHING,  ETC. 


119 


wetted  it  becomes  very  soapy,  and  unless  some  precautions 
are  taken  the  knots  made  in  it  will  slip. 

There  is  a  knot  which  is  known  to  the  sailor  as  the 
half-hitch,  which  is  shown  in  Diagram  5,  Fig.  6.  If  this 
half-hitch  is  slipped  down  over  the  eye  of  the  fly,  and  drawn 
taut,  the  knot  shown  in  Diagram  5,  Fig.  7,  results.  If  this 
knot  is  used  with  small  hooks,  or  ones  in  which  the  wings 
are  close  to  the  eye,  it  is  a  difficult  matter  to  avoid  injuring 
the  wings  of  the  fly.     It  will  be  seen  by  Diagram  5,  Fig.  7, 


Fig.  5 


Jji.^ 


TH7. 


Fig.  6. 


Diagram  5. 

Fig.  4. — Overhand  knot  tied  round  unthreaded  part  of  cast. 
Fig.  5. — The  same  slipped  over  eye  and  drawn  taut,  forming 

the  sheet  bend. 
Fig.  6.— The  half-hitch. 
Fig.  7. — The  half -hitch  after  it  is  slipped  over  eye  and  drawn 

taut. 

that  the  end  of  the  line  will  lie  down  close  alongside  the  body 
of  the  fly.  The  disadvantages  of  this  knot,  however,  are,  first, 
the  difficulty  of  securing  it  to  the  hook  without  injuring  the 
fly,  and,  secondly,  that  the  fly  cannot  move  independently 


120  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

of  the  gut  to  which  it  is  attached,  as  it  does  in  the  knot  which 
I  recommend.  If  the  eye  of  the  fly  should  be  made  of  gut, 
as  the  eye  of  a  salmon  fly  frequently  is,  the  overhand  knot 
shown  in  Figure  3  can  be  slipped  down  while  loose  over 
the  eye  as  shown  in  Figure  4,  and  drawn  taut,  the  result  of 
which  is  shown  in  Diagram  5,  Fig  5,  and  is  known  to  the 
sailorman  as  the  "  sheet  bend."  Where  patent  fibre  is 
used  with  the  gut  eyed  salmon  hooks,  a  small  knot  should 
be  made  in  the  end  of  the  line,  which  will  prevent  the  fibre 
from  drawing,  or,  in  the  case  of  gut,  the  end  can  be  passed 
again  round  the  shank  of  the  hook  and  under  the  part  which 
runs  through  the  eye.     This  is  called  a  double  "  sheet  bend  " 


Diagram  6. 
Showing  a  method  of  using  the  overhand  knot  for  large  flies. 


by  the  sailorman.  This  knot,  in  my  opinion,  is  a  fairly 
good  one  for  the  wet  fly  fisherman,  but  a  bubble  of  air  is 
frequently  retained  by  the  short  end  above  the  eye  of 
the  hook,  which  gives  an  unnatural  appearance  to  the 
artificial  fly. 

For  hooks  larger  than  No.  3  the  overhand  knot  can 
be  made  round  the  threaded  part  of  the  gut,  and  not, 
as  in  Figure  4,  round  the  unthreaded  part.  The  knot 
is  then  drawn  taut,  and  the  end  cut  off  short.  The  noose 
thus  formed  is  drawn  taut  on  the  unthreaded  part,  and  is 


WET  FLY  FISHING,  ETC.  121 

then  pulled  down,  so  that  the  knot  thus  made  slips  down 
to  the  eye  of  the  hook. 

If  two  ends  have  to  be  joined,  one  overhand  knot  is  tied 
in  one  end,  and  the  other  part  passed  through  this  knot,  and 
then  tied  in  an  overhand  knot  round  the  other  part  (see 
Diagram  7).  Notice  how  the  ends  come  out.  All  that 
remains  to  be  done  is  to  draw  these  two  overhand  knots 
taut  on  the  piece  of  gut  they  enclose,  and  then  draw  the 
two  knots  together.  This  makes  the  neatest  of  all  joins, 
but  for  additional  security,  and  so  that  the  end  of  the  gut 
can  be  cut  absolutely  short,  a  double  turn  of  the  end  can 
be  made  in  each  overhand  knot  before  it  is  drawn  taut. 

When  attaching  a  dropper  to  a  cast,  the  best  way  is  to 
make  a  fairly  large  overhand  knot  in  the  short  end  of  gut 


Diagram  7. 
Showing  the  method  of  joining  the  ends  of  two  pieces  of  gut  with 
overhand  knots. 


attached  to  the  fly,  and  to  pass  the  fly  through  this  knot, 
enclosing  the  cast  in  the  loop  thus  formed.  The  overhand 
knot  is  then  drawn  taut,  and  the  loop  is  then  placed 
at  the  spot  at  which  the  dropper  has  to  hang,  the  loop 
closed  by  pulling  on  the  fly,  and  the  end  cut  short  off  (see 
Diagram  4,    Fig.    1). 

The  best  method  of  fastening  your  line  to  the  end  loop 
of  the  gut  cast  is  to  thread  the  end  of  the  line  through  the 
eye,  bringing  it  round  both  parts  of  the  eye,  and  slipping 
it  underneath  its  own  part.  This  again  gives  the  "  sheet 
bend  "  (Diag.  5,  Fig.  5).     A  small  knot  in  the  end  of  the  line 


122  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

makes  this  "  sheet  bend  "  absolutely  secure,  and  permits 
of  an  attachment  which  can  be  instantly  released.* 

Sex  in  Trout 

The  cock  fish  may  generally  be  distinguished  from  the 
female  during  the  spawning  season  by  the  fact  that  the 
adipose  fin  is  more  developed,  thicker  and  stiffer  than  in  the 
hen  fish. 

During  the  open  season  the  reader  may  probably  find 
it  difiicult  to  distinguish  between  the  sexes  of  the  trout. 
As  before  stated,  it  is  claimed  that  the  cock  fish  has  a  longer 
and  stouter  adipose  fin  ;  there  is  a  bluntness  about  the  nose 
and  head  of  a  male  fish,  although  this  bluntness  is  lost  as  the 
spawning  season  approaches.  At  this  time  the  colour 
becomes  more  vivid  on  the  sides  ;  and  the  belly  of  the  fish, 
both  before  and  behind  the  ventral  fin,  has  a  decidedly 
square  appearance  in  the  cock  fish.  The  hen  fish  at  this 
time  loses  some  of  her  colour,  and  grows  big  with  spawn, 
but  does  not  acquire  the  squareness  in  the  underneath  part 
of  its  body  peculiar  to  the  other  sex. 

The  Appearance  of  Trout 
The  colour  of  the  trout  changes  rapidly  in  relation  to  its 
surroundings.  If  a  dark  trout  be  taken  from  under  a  bridge 
or  from  some  deep  shady  portion  of  the  river,  and  placed 
in  a  shallow  enclosure  with  light-coloured  gravel  at  the 
bottom,  he  will,  before  many  hours  have  elapsed,  have 
changed  to  a  much  lighter  colour.  A  trout  which  inhabits 
a  river  one  side  of  which  is  deep,  over-shadowed,  and  with  a 
dark  bottom,  will  when  on  that  side  of  the  river  be  possessed 
of  a  dark  colour  ;  but  if  he  should  during  certain  hours  of 
the  day  cross  the  river  and  lie  on  the  opposite  side  in  sun- 
light, on  a  shallow,  gravelly  bed,  he  will  rapidly  become 
lighter. 

*  For  a  description  of  other  knots  see  Chapter  XVI. 


WET  FLY  FISHING,  ETC.  123 

Weeds 

It  may  well  be  asked  !  If  these  weeds  are  so  dangerous 
and  so  often  rob  the  fisherman  of  his  fish,  why  are  they  left 
in  the  river  ? 

There  are  several  considerations  which  have  to  be  taken 
into  account  with  reference  to  the  water  plants  or  weeds  in  a 
trout  stream.  The  owner  has  to  consider  the  necessity  of 
keeping  open  his  water  way  and  preventing  these  rapid- 
growing  plants  from  choking  up  the  channel  of  his  stream,  a 
fault  which  would  lead  to  the  flooding  of  the  adjacent 
property,  damage  to  the  river-banks,  and  the  probable  loss 
of  many  good  fish. 

On  the  other  hand,  he  has  to  remember  that  these 
weeds,  when  kept  within  certain  bounds,  are  most  beneficial 
to  trout  life.  They  keep  down  the  temperature  of  the  water 
and  are  a  refuge  to  the  trout,  not  only  from  mankind,  but 
from  the  otter,  the  heron,  and  other  enemies  ;  they  provide 
a  never-failing  supply  of  natural  food,  as  well  as  acting  as 
filters  and  natural  purifiers  of  the  waters  in  which  they  exist. 
The  Ephemeridae  and  other  water  insects  are  always  plentiful 
in  weedy  rivers.  The  fresh- water  shrimp,  one  of  the  prin- 
cipal foods  of  the  trout,  abounds  and  multiplies  amid  the 
shelter  of  the  weeds.  Several  trout-breeding  establishments 
make  a  regular  business  not  only  of  supplying  fly  larvae, 
fresh-water  shrimps,  and  other  water  insect  life,  but  of 
cultivating  and  supplying  the  best  weeds  and  water  bushes 
for  trout  streams.  Riparian  owners,  therefore,  who  wish 
to  afford  shelter  or  create  a  natural  food-supply  for  their 
fish  would  do  well  to  remember  this  fact. 

The  Riparian  owner  must  also  take  into  consideration  the 
valuable  effect  which  the  water  plants  have  in  checking 
the  down-stream  flow  of  water  in  the  dry  seasons,  and 
by  this  natural  damming  action  keeping  a  plentiful  supply 
of  water  in  streams  which  would  otherwise  soon  run  very 


124  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

low  (see  Plate  XII.).  The  photograph  shown  in  this  plate 
was  taken  on  the  Axe,  Devonshire,  and  the  influence  of  the 
weeds  on  this  stream  can  be  at  once  realized,  both  as 
regards  the  plentiful  supply  of  insect  life  and  as  damming 
up  and  filtering  the  water  of  the  river. 

Weed-cutting  and  dredging  should  always,  therefore, 
for  the  above  reasons,  be  restricted  within  reasonable  limits, 
and  carried  out  at  times  most  convenient  to  other  fishermen. 
Nearly  every  owner  of  trout  water  has  suffered  from  the 
ills  of  floating  weeds,  and  this  experience  generally  leads 
to  the  kindly  consideration  of  those  who  may  be  fishing  in 
the  water  below  them.  The  weeds  which  encourage  the 
growth  of  the  water  shrimp — perhaps  the  most  valuable 
natural  food  for  trout — are  the  Ranunculus  and  Water 
Celery. 

Fungus  on  Grown  Fish 

A  trout  may  be  caught  at  times  suffering  from  a  fungus 
or  a  growth  on  the  head,  shoulder,  or  other  part  of  the  body. 
The  student  will  be  well  advised,  after  netting  such  a  speci- 
men, to  destroy  it  at  once,  taking  care  not  to  return  it  to 
the  water  or  place  it  among  his  clean  fish.  Fungus  can  at 
times  be  cured  by  dipping  the  fish  in  a  strong  solution  of 
salt. 

It  is  the  salt  in  the  sea  water  which  effectually  eradicates 
the  germs  from  the  wounds  which  a  salmon  receives  during 
a  futile  effort  to  reach  the  spawning  ground,  and  by  doing 
so  makes  practically  certain  the  ultimate  cure  of  such  wounds. 
Ordinary  fungus  is  a  growth  which  attaches  itself  to  any 
bare  spot  on  the  trout's  skin,  caused  by  a  wound  or  the 
accidental  loss  of  slime.  The  natural  mucus  on  a  trout 
protects  the  skin  from  fungus  in  exactly  the  same  manner 
that  Peacock's  Paint  protects  the  bottoms  of  iron  ships  from 
barnacles,    etc.     The   fungus  is    in   itself  harmless,  but  it 


PLATE  XII 


[I'lwlo  by  the  A  ulhor. 


A  Natural  Dam  of  Weeds. 

AT    THE    MEETING    OF    TWO    CHANNELS    OF    THE    AXE.       SEATON     JUNCTION. 


Copyright.^ 


WET  FLY  FISHING,  ETC.  125 

sometimes  contains  worm-like  parasites  of  microscopic 
character.  These  attach  themselves  to  a  portion  of  the 
fungus  near  the  skin  of  the  trout,  and  are  continually 
eating  into  the  tissue  of  the  fish.  The  mouths  of  these 
worms  are  armed  with  tentacles,  with  which  they  can 
adhere  to  any  portion  of  the  trout's  skin  which  may  be 
unprotected  by  slime.* 

If  the  worms  be  killed  by  salt  solution,  the  fungus  then 
disappears.  If,  however,  any  portion  of  the  living  and 
malignant  fungus  be  returned  to  the  water,  it  will  carry 
with  it  a  percentage  of  these  deadly  and  contagious  worms ; 
hence  the  necessity  of  its  destruction  to  insure  the  protec- 
tion of  the  healthy  trout  in  the  same  stream.  The  bare 
places  caused  by  the  fry  nibbling  one  another  are  an  ever- 
present  source  of  danger  to  these  small  fish. 

Hints  as  to  the  Selection  of  the  Fly  when  by  the 

Water-side 

So  long  as  the  fisherman  has  from  eight  to  twelve  of  each 
of  the  flies  which  are  likely  to  be  on  the  water  which  he  is 
going  to  fish,  his  only  difficulty  will  then  be  the  determina- 
tion of  which  fly  to  use.  When  he  reaches  the  river,  he 
should  as  soon  as  possible  find  out  which  fly  is  being 
taken. 

It  is  just  here  that  the  utility  of  a  small,  light,  and  collap- 
sible butterfly  net  must  be  again  emphasized  ;  no  article, 
after  the  rod,  the  line  and  flies,  the  reel  and  the  fishing-net, 
is  more  important  to  the  dry  fly  fisherman.  It  is  always 
difficult,  and  often  impossible,  to  catch  the  elusive  winged 
insects  which  are  flying  or  floating  rapidly  past  without  such 
a  net.  With  a  net,  however,  little  or  no  time  is  lost,  and 
fly  after  fly  can  be  easily  and  quickly  netted  and  examined 
and  then  compared  with  the  artificial  flies  in  the  student's 

*  See  Black  fish,  page    43. 


126  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

fly-box,  until  he  has  finally  determined  on  the  correct  fly 
to  use. 

One  of  the  difiiculties  which  the  beginner  will  experience 
is  to  determine  the  size  of  the  flies  he  wants  when  ordering 
them  from  the  makers.  The  new  numbering  of  flies  which 
commences  from  ooo,  oo,  o,  i,  2, 3, 4,  etc.,  are  those  commonly 
used.  In  order  to  facilitate  matters,  I  have  engraved  these 
exact  sizes  in  facsimile  on  the  side  of  the  fly  fishing  knife 
previously  mentioned.  When,  therefore,  a  fly  is  caught 
by  the  brookside,  if  it  be  placed  exactly  over  one  of  the 
engraved  hooks,  the  student  will  see  at  once  the  size 
of  the  fly  he  has  to  order.  By  wiring  the  number  and 
name  of  the  fly  to  the  maker  who  supplies  him,  thus  : 

"  Send  me  by  first  post  one  dozen  Red  Quill  size  o " 

he  will  be  able  to  get  them  by  first  post. 

The  Cap  as  a  Fly-Holder 

A  good  place  to  keep  the  fly  which  you  have  just  taken 
off  your  line  is  undoubtedly  the  cap.  In  this  position  the 
flies  dry  quickly,  are  secure,  out  of  danger,  and  always  very 
handy.  The  flies  placed  in  the  cap  during  the  day  can  be 
sorted  and  replaced  in  your  fly-book  or  fly-box  when  you 
get  home.  The  only  drawback  to  this  plan  is  that  in  wet 
weather  the  hooks,  if  allowed  to  remain  in  the  cap  as  they 
dry,  are  likely  to  rust.  Flies  in  the  cap  are  also  apt  to 
excite  attention,  and  hints  from  friendly  strangers  that 
"  Your  hat,  sir,  is  covered  with  feathers,"  etc.,  have  been 
frequent.  When  I  was  coming  home  from  fishing  one 
day  on  the  top  of  a  tramcar,  a  fond  mother  kept  her  children 
quiet  for  some  time  by  an  entomological  discussion  as  to  the 
nature  of  the  "  tame  "  flies  grouped  on  my  fishing-cap,  and 
a  droll  remark  was  made  by  a  newspaper  boy,  who,  when 
offering  me  an  evening  paper,  said  *'  Hexcuse  me.  Sir,  but 
your  'at  is  hall  hover  hinsecks  !  " 


WET  FLY  FISHING,  ETC.  127 

Dry  Fly  Fishing  with  Three  Flies 
Now  we  will  suppose  you  have  just    arrived    for    the 
first  time  at  a  stream  for  a  few  days'  fishing.     It  is  an 
ordinary  trout  brook,  and  you  may  not  have  any  one  with 
you  to  suggest  the  correct  fly  with  which  to  fish. 

Your  Field  or  Fishing  Gazette  may  have  told  you  that 
Black  Gnat,  the  Blue  Quill,  and  Olive  Quill  are  being 
taken  on  the  water.  But  there  are  no  flies  visible,  and  the 
trout  are  not  rising.  How,  then,  are  you  going  to  determine 
the  correct  fly  to  use  ?  It  is  by  no  means  a  bad  plan — 
although  not  usually  adopted — in  order  to  save  time,  to 
place  one  of  these  flies,  say  the  Olive  Quill,  on  the  end  of 
your  cast  ;  then,  three  feet  up  the  cast,  with  a  very  short 
end,  attach  the  Blue  Quill,  and  again,  three  feet  further  up, 
a  Black  Gnat.  Oil  the  cast  and  each  fly,  and  treat  this  cast 
of  three  flies  as  you  would  a  single  dry  fly  cast,  and  fish  up- 
stream. I  have  often,  by  adopting  this  method  and  fishing 
the  likely  spots,  discovered  a  fly  which  the  fish  will  take, 
and  by  discarding  the  other  two  and  fishing  dry  fly  with  the 
remaining  one,  have  saved  much  time  and  caught  fish  which 
I  should  not  otherwise  have  taken. 

Even  when  the  fish  are  rising,  it  is  often  difl&cult  to  find 
out  the  definite  fly  which  they  are  taking,  and  when,  for 
experimental  purposes,  you  may,  as  above  advised,  be 
fishing  with  three  dry  flies  and  happen  to  catch  a  rising  fish, 
examine  the  food  in  the  upper  part  of  its  gullet.  This  can 
be  done  by  a  gentle  upward  pressure  along  the  body  towards 
the  gills,  which  will  express  the  latest  taken  food  into 
the  mouth.  The  chances  are  that  the  sub-imago  form  of 
some  water  insect  will  be  found  there,  as  well  as  the  pupae 
of  the  same  insect,  and  if  the  fly  on  which  you  have  taken 
this  fish  does  not  secure  you  trout  when  it  is  fished  as  a 
single  dry  fly,  try  a  specimen  of  the  sub-imago  found  in  the 
fish's  gullet. 


128  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

There  are  many  days,  mostly  in  fine  weather,  with  clear 
calm  water,  which  require  the  floating  fly  to  be  in  the  most 
perfect  condition  possible,  while  on  a  few  other  days,  and  in 
perhaps  rougher  water,  the  more  fluffy  and  knocked  about 
the  fly  be,  the  more  deadly  it  appears  to  become. 

When  hesitating  as  to  the  size  of  any  fly  it  is  better  to 
choose  the  larger  size,  even  on  such  educated  waters  as  the 
Itchen  and  the  Test. 

But  it  must  also  be  remembered  that  educated  trout 
may  easily  be  "  put  down  '*  by  a  fly  larger  or  smaller  than 
the  natural  fly  on  which  they  are  feeding. 

Moths  and  Otters 

Moths  constitute  a  very  real  danger  to  the  security 
of  all  artificial  flies,  and  during  the  off  season  camphor 
should  be    freely    used. 

*'  Otters  is  pisen  whenever  met."  They  are  carnivorous, 
and  those  which  inhabit  or  visit  trout  lakes  and  streams 
exact  a  toll  from  these  waters,  which  is  thorough  and 
destructive.  Otters,  in  any  particular  stream,  may  eat, 
and  may  even  prefer,  the  frog  and  the  eel  to  the  trout. 
Evidence  on  this  point  is,  however,  very  meagre  and 
one-sided,  but  what  about  the  stream  which  supports 
trout  only  ?  Even  with  a  partiality  for  partridge,  I  have 
known  people  in  the  close  season  content  themselves  with 
spring  chicken. 

The  Broken  Rod 

The  fisherman  is  likely  at  some  time  or  other  to  fracture 
or  spring  the  upper  or  middle  joint  of  his  fishing-rod,  the 
handle  of  his  fishing-net,  etc. 

If  he  should  happen  to  meet  with  this  misfortune  he 


t 


WET  FLY  FISHING,  ETC.  139 

can  with  very  little  loss  of  time  and  without  dif&culty  repair 
the  most  serious  fracture  or  injury. 

The  best  plan  to  adopt  to  meet  such  emergencies  is  to 
have  in  your  creel  a  roll  of  quarter-inch  adhesive  plaster 
and  a  few  strong  quills.  By  splitting  the  quills  and  opening 
them  out  they  can  be  used  as  splints,  and  with  the  adhesive 
plaster  will  effectually  repair  the  broken  rod. 

If  the  rod  be  a  cane  one,  it  will  not  be  likely  to  break, 
but  merely  to  spring,  most  often  in  two  or  three  segments 
on  one  side.  In  such  a  case,  place  two  quills  on  the  weaker 
side  of  the  rod  and  one  on  the  other.  These,  combined  with 
a  good  strong  whipping  of  the  plaster,  will  render  your  rod 
perfectly  fit  for  use.  If  you  care  to  make  a  neater  job 
when  you  reach  your  fishing  quarters  at  night,  a  little  hot 
water  will  loosen  the  plaster,  and  you  can  then  make  a 
more  perfect  mend  of  the  break,  sufficient  indeed  to  last 
until  you  see  your  rod-maker  again. 

It  may  be  necessary  to  place  more  than  one  layer  of  the 
quills  on  the  rod,  but  as  they  fit  closely  together  and  are 
very  light,  they  do  not  interfere  with  the  pleasurable  use  of 
the  rod.  The  quills  can  be  softened  by  soaking  them  in 
hot  water. 

If  you  have  not  broken  a  part  of  your  own  rod,  others 
may  not  have  been  so  lucky,  and  you  can  help  them,  and, 
as  the  revered  father  of  Huck  Finn  said,  **  a  good  action 
ain't  never  forgot." 

The  value  of  this  method  of  splicing  or  fishing  a  rod  is 
that  it  is  usable  directly  the  plaster  whipping  has  been 
applied. 

Hints. — Whipping  a  Broken  Rod 
When  adhesive  plaster  is   not   obtainable  the  whipping 
should   be    made   with   strong  waxed   thread   or  silk,  and 
finished  as  the  whipping  at  the  end  of  a  rope  is  finished  by 

10 


130  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

sailormen.  The  first  few  turns  are  made  at  the  desired 
spot,  laid  evenly  and  firmly  over  the  short  end  of  the 
whipping  material,  and  continued  until  sufficient  turns  of 
the  thread  have  been  laid  on  to  cover  the  injured  portion 
of  the  rod.  The  last  three  or  four  turns  are  then  loosened 
freely,  and  the  end  of  the  line  with  which  you  have  been 
working  is  passed  under  these,  and  up  and  out  over  the 
turns  which  have  not  been  loosened.  The  loosened  turns, 
beginning  at  the  inside  one,  are  then  again  drawn  on  taut, 
and  the  slack  line  is  finally  pulled  through  under  them 
and  the  end  cut  off.  The  whipping  thus  finished  securely 
is  the  most  convenient  method  of  neatly  and  securely  placing 
a  whipping  on  a  rod.  See  Plate  XXXIV.,  Figs.  1,  2 
and  3. 

Bulging  Trout 

Trout  may  at  times — such  times  being  generally  bad  for 
the  dry  fly  fisherman — be  seen  feeding  on  the  nymphae  of 
water  insects.  On  these  occasions,  although  the  trout  are 
rising  to  the  surface,  they  take  little  or  no  notice  of  the  natural 
or  artificial  fly  on  the  water.  When  the  trout  are  showing 
the  dorsal  fin  and  part  of  the  back  above  the  water,  they 
are  then  said  to  be  bulging.  If  the  fisherman  finds  that  the 
trout,  in  these  circumstances,  persistently  refuse  to  feed  on 
the  floating  fly,  his  best  plan  is  to  change  his  cast,  and  fish 
up  and  across  stream  with  a  short  line  and  two  or  more 
hackle-winged  flies.  These  flies  should,  if  possible,  resemble 
the  nymphae  on  which  the  trout  are  feeding,  and  should 
only  be  sunk  a  few  inches  below  the  surface,  the  spasmodic 
swimming  action  of  the  nymphae  being  imitated  as  closely  as 
possible  by  a  series  of  very  small  jerks  given  to  the  artificial 
fly  as  the  cast  is  drawn  through  the  water  toward  the 
fisherman. 

I  have  found  that  a  hackle  medium  Olive  Quill  is  very 


WET  FLY  FISHING,  ETC.  131 

useful.  On  one  occasion,  when  fishing  on  a  delightful 
chalk  stream  in  Normandy,  I  gave  up  any  attempt  to  attract 
the  fish,  which  were  showing  up  in  all  directions,  with  the 
dry  fly,  and  by  adopting  the  above  method  secured  quite  a 
respectable  basket  of  fish.  I  have  since  then,  under 
bulging  conditions,  tried  a  Gold-ribbed  Hare's  Ear,  also 
a  Greenwell's  Glory,  and  think  the  reader  will  find  either 
of  these  flies  well  worth  trying,  the  gold  ribbing  being 
most  likely  the  attraction.  Alders,  or  Coch  y  Bondhu  can 
at  times  be  used  with  success  when  trout  are  persistently 
bulging. 

Keeping  the  Line  Clear 

A  word  as  to  casting  and  fishing  when  daylight  has  ceased 
and  before  the  moon  makes  her  appearance.  In  order  to 
keep  your  line  clear  in  casting,  bring  the  rod  back  a  little  to 
the  left  of  the  vertical,  and  return  it  slightly  to  the  right, 
or  vice  versd.  This  should  effectually  prevent  fouling,  always 
allowing  plenty  of  time  for  the  line  to  extend  itself  behind. 
The  line  should,  however,  be  drawn  through  the  fingers 
every  few  minutes,  in  order  to  make  certain  that  it  has  not 
fouled.  When  a  breeze  is  blowing  across  your  line,  always 
bring  your  rod  back  slightly  to  leeward,  and  return  it 
slightly  to  windward  of  the  vertical  plane  in  which  you 
would  otherwise  cast. 

Changing  the  Fly  after  Dark 

Now  as  to  the  greatest  difficulty  of  all — the  changing  or 
replacing  of  trout  flies  on  the  cast  after  dark.  This  is  a 
difficulty  which  has  on  more  than  one  occasion  robbed  me 
of  the  charm  of  redeeming  the  ill-fortune  of  a  poor  day, 
when  the  very  audible  but  invisible  activity  of  the  trout 
was  telling  me  of  a  long  delayed  and  anxiously  expected 
rise. 


132  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

In  the  dusk,  with  no  lantern  and  no  one  to  help,  the 
chances  of  replacing  a  lost  fly  are  infinitesimal.  A  small 
portable  electric  light  is  being  sold  which  effectually 
overcomes  this  difficulty.  This  lamp  can  be  suspended 
round  the  neck,  lies  flat  on  the  breast,  and,  when  turned  on 
by  means  of  a  switch,  sheds  a  bright  and  constant  beam  of 
light  full  on  the  hands,  etc.  It  is  cheap,  and  has  a  two- 
candle  power  lamp,  lasting  for  hours.  It  can  be  recharged 
by  dry  cells  in  less  than  two  minutes.  This  light  is  only 
wanted  at  rare  intervals,  and  never  for  more  than  three  or 
four  minutes  ;  its  use  permits  the  angler  to  continue  his 
fishing  however  dark  the  evening  may  be.* 


♦  This  lamp  is  sold  by  Messrs.  Holtzapffel  &  Co.,  53,  Haymarket,  S.W. 


CHAPTER   VIII 

AXIOMS,  NOTES  AND  THEORIES— GRAYLING  FISHING 

Hints  to  the  student — Axioms  and  advice  on  sundry  fishing  matters — 
Loch  and  lake  fishing — Grayling. 

Hints  to  the  Student 
Experience  and  common-sense  are  the  most  valuable 
guides  when  actually  fishing.  No  two  days  are  alike,  and  at 
each  step  the  fisherman  will  most  likely  be  confronted  with 
an  absolutely  new  combination  of  circumstances.  This  is 
perhaps  one  of  the  greatest  charms  of  dry  fly  fishing.  To 
read  is  good,  because  it  shows  from  the  personal  knowledge 
of  others  that  no  two  experiences  of  the  same  writer  are 
absolutely  alike,  and  no  hard-and-fast  axioms  of  fishing  lore 
can  invariably  be  followed.  The  attendant  circumstances 
should  guide  the  immediate  actions  of  the  moment. 

There  are,  however,  certain  truths  and  axioms  which 
occur  to  me  and  which  the  beginner  might  do  well  to 
remember  ;  they  may  perhaps  be  tinged  with  a  personal 
colour,  for  they  are  the  results  of  my  own  fishing  experience. 

The  fisherman  should  always  remember  that  nothing 
succeeds  like  success,  and  if  he  believes  in  the  fly  he  is  using 
he  is  more  likely  to  be  successful  than  if  he  is  doubtful  as 
to  its  virtues.  The  suggestion  that  the  fly  he  is  using  must 
be  the  best  assists  him  while  fishing.  I  can  even  imagine  a 
day's  salmon  fishing  to  be  interesting  from  start  to  finish 
in  spite  of  the  fact  that  no  salmon  have  come  at  the  fly, 
if  the  fisherman  himself  believes  that  his  fly  is  the  only  one 
that  will  kill  at  the  time. 

188 


134  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

It  really  means  that  the  suggestion  of  infallibility  aids 
the  fisherman  in  that  continuation  of  attention  which  is  so 
necessary  to  the  purpose  in  hand,  i.e.,  to  attract  the  attention 
of  the  fish.  I  think  myself  that  there  is  no  fly  like  my  own 
"  Fancy,"  and  while  a  certain  amount  of  optimism  may  be 
allowed  because  of  the  success  I  have  attained  with  it,  at 
the  back  of  my  brain  I  know  full  well  that  some  at  least  of 
its  success  is  due  to  the  suggestion  of  its  infallibility. 

The  beginner,  he  who  has  been  badly  taught,  or  the  self- 
taught  man  who  may  have  acquired  bad  habits,  fails  to 
understand  why  his  friend  catches  readily  and  easily  fish 
after  fish,  during  a  long  day,  while  he  secures  but  a  few,  if 
any. 

The  skilful  fly  fisherman,  who  can  take  every  rising  fish 
within  his  reach,  seldom  attributes  his  success  or  his  friend's 
failure  to  the  real  cause,  which  is,  the  certain  and  immediate 
skilfulness  or  unskilfulness  of  each  cast. 

The  dry  fly  fisherman,  for  instance,  has,  as  a  rule,  only  one 
opportunity  at  each  fish,  and  it  is  with  him  that  the  making 
or  marring  of  that  chance  rests.  Each  initial  cast  for  a 
trout  possesses  a  greater  or  less  difiiculty,  and  his  success 
will  depend  on  the  immediate  and  skilful  manner  in  which 
he  takes  advantage  of  the  opportunity. 

The  most  essential  portion  of  the  dry  fly  fisherman's 
art,  and  the  most  difficult  to  acquire,  is  the  power  to  place 
at  once  and  with  certainty  the  right  fly,  delicately  and 
accurately,  over  his  fish. 

Axioms 

Among  the  many  factors  which  contribute  to  the  happi- 
ness of  any  day's  fishing,  the  killing  of  the  fish  is  an  incident 
which  ranks  least. 

The  best  fisherman  in  my  opinion  is  he  who  nets  most 
fish,  and  who  kills  or  injures  the  least. 


\ 


AXIOMS,  NOTES  AND  THEORIES  136 

There  can  be  no  harm  in  filling  one's  creel  if  its  contents 
are  employed  in  '*  pleasuring  some  poor  body  "  as  Izaak 
Walton  has  it,  but  to  effect  the  depletion  of  a  trout  stream 
for  no  other  purpose  than  that  of  proving  one's  skill,  and  to 
toil  during  the  day  under  a  creel  loaded  with  those  beautiful 
fish  in  order  to  establish  our  own  prowess  on  our  return  to 
our  fishing  quarters,  is  a  vanity  which  calm  consideration 
should  soon  permit  us  to  conquer. 

A  fisherman's  day  may  be  considered  to  be  one  on  which 
trout  are  difficult  to  capture.  A  duffer's  day  may  be  con- 
sidered to  be  one  on  which  the  fish  are  superlatively  easy  to 
capture. 

It  should  always  be  remembered  that  the  killing  of  a 
two  or  three  year  old  fish  puts  an  end  to  the  most 
valuable  and  interesting  period  of  its  life. 

Always  be  charitable  ;  never  discredit  a  reputed  trout 
stream  because  you  have  been  unlucky  on  one  or  two 
occasions.  "  No  fish  in  the  river  "  is  a  rash  statement  to 
advance,  because,  after  one  or  two  visits,  no  fish  have 
been  caught,  or  possibly  seen.  A  futile  visit  to  a  stream  and 
a  hasty  opinion  thus  formed  may  be  regretted.  I  remember, 
by  the  kindly  courtesy  of  a  French  landowner  in  Normandy, 
taking  a  day  on  his  stream,  in  which  he  told  me  were  many 
trout.  I  had  been  doing  well  all  the  week,  but  on  this  day 
I  had  the  poorest  luck,  and,  therefore,  hastily  concluded 
that  the  stream  was  almost  barren  of  trout.  Consequently, 
on  one  memorable  day  on  which  the  May-fly  was  dominant, 
instead  of  going  with  a  friend  who  was  fishing  this  stream, 
I  went  farther  and  fared  worse,  and  found,  on  meeting  my 
friend  in  the  evening,  that  he  had  enjoyed  a  glorious  day's 
trouting.  I  still  regret  losing  that  excellent  day,  and  consider 
that,  as  regards  any  water,  first  impressions  are  not  always 
the  soundest. 


136  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

The  golden  hours  of  a  trout  fisherman's  experience  will 
be  from  lo  a.m.  to  3  p.m. 

It  is  during  their  first  rise,  i.e.,  during  the  period  when 
they  first  come  on  the  feed  on  any  day,  that  most  trout 
will  probably  be  taken.      You  may  miss  this  rise  ! 

As  the  big  fish  rise  most  frequently  in  a  slow  and  dignified 
manner,  their  rise  is  generally  of  a  less  disturbing  character 
than  that  of  a  young,  eager  and  voracious  youngster.  The 
splash  made  by  a  big  fish  may  be  less,  but  the  wave  will 
probably  be  bigger ;  nevertheless  to  the  unobservant  or 
inexperienced  fisherman  the  difference  is  not  easily  discern- 
ible. The  musical,  sucking  noise  of  the  big  fish,  when 
feeding  at  night  on  surface  food,  is  unmistakable. 

Do  not  press  in  fly  casting.  Use  the  least  possible  force 
in  order  to  achieve  your  best  cast. 

If  it  be  possible  always  keep  a  taut  line  after  a  fish  is 
hooked. 

Play  your  fish  from  the  reel  if  possible. 

Keep  your  rod  well  up  when  playing  the  fish. 

A  constant  and  delicate  strain  on  the  line  secures  a 
lightly  hooked  trout,  which  otherwise  would  be  lost. 

Always  remember  that  in  very  weedy  water  it  is  better 
to  let  a  trout  go  up-stream  into  the  tail  of  a  bunch  of  weeds 
than  to  pull  him  down-stream,  and  let  him  get  sideways 
into  the  thick  of  such  a  danger.  A  fish  which  may  seem 
hopelessly  entangled  in  weeds  and  brushwood  may  with 
patience  and  nerve  be  ultimately  creeled.* 

When  about  to  net  or  gaff  your  fish,  use  your  reel  as  little 
as  possible. 

•  See  page  53,  re  Weeds  and  Handlining. 


AXIOMS,  NOTES  AND  THEORIES  137 

Your  man,  your  rod,  your  reel,  and  yourself,  should  be  as 
still  as  a  heron  at  that  critical  moment. 

Look  to  the  point  of  your  trout  and  salmon  hook 
frequently,  and  always  carry  a  small  file  in  case  the  point 
becomes  blunted. 

Avoid  casting  directly  over  a  trout  if  possible,  but  get 
your  fly  above  and  within  range  of  the  trout's  vision  as  soon 
as  possible  after  one  has  risen. 

In  the  ordinary  run  of  a  stream  when  a  trout  is  seen 
rising,  so  long  as  a  fly  floats  into  the  circle  which  bounds  its 
upward  vision  (see  Diagram  2),  and  so  long  as  the  line 
does  not  immediately  bisect  the  circle  when  fishing  up- 
stream, the  angler  may  rest  assured  that  he  has  done  all  he 
can  do  when  he  casts  to  a  spot  immediately  above  the  circle 
of  the  rising  fish.  If  immediately  below  your  fish  the  hne 
can  be  thrown  in  a  curve,  so  that  while  the  fly  ahghts 
immediately  above  your  trout,  the  line  will  curl  over  to 
the  right  or  left  of  the  trout's  position.  As  the  cast  falls  on 
and  breaks  the  surface  of  the  water,  it  will  be  visible  to 
the  trout,  but  it  is  not  so  likely  to  scare  the  fish  as  if  it  had 
fallen  immediately  over  its  head.     (See  the  drag,  page  197). 

Run  your  dry  fly  line  through  your  grease  pad  at  least 
twice  during  the  day's  fishing — but  only  when  the  line  is 
dry — once  before  you  start,  and  once  after  the  pause  for 
luncheon — take  off  any  superfluous  grease  by  running  the 
line  through  your  handkerchief  or  any  dry  rag. 

If  too  much  grease  be  put  on  the  line,  it  hinders  its  easy 
running  through  the  rings  of  the  rod. 

Keep  the  point  of  your  rod  down  when  fishing. 

The  less  slack  line  there  is  between  your  rod  point  and  the 
fly,  the  better  will  be  your  strike  and  the  greater  your 
command  over  the  fish  you  hook. 


138  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

Unreel  your  line  every  night  and  let  it  dry. 

Keep  the  ratchet  wheel  of  your  reel  clean  and  well  oiled, 
and  the  spindle  clean  and  just  sufficiently  oiled  to  allow  the 
drum  to  run  smoothly. 

Gut  Casts 

Gut  Casts  which  have  been  lying  in  the  damping  box 
all  day  should  be  placed  in  dry  flannel  at  night,  and  gut 
should  be  soaked,  carefully  tested  and  examined  before 
being  used. 

The  length  of  the  gut  cast  used  in  dry  fly  fishing  should  be 
about  nine  feet.  I  have  never  found  it  necessary  to  use 
longer  ones. 

When  the  fisherman  is  casting  correctly,  he  will  some- 
times find  that  the  last  few  inches  of  his  nine  foot  gut  cast 
will  not  be  properly  extended  and  will  fall  backward  on  itself ; 
and  in  such  a  case  he  should  shorten  the  length  of  his 
cast  by  a  few  inches  and  carefully  note  the  result.  Such  a 
fault  is,  I  think,  frequently  due  to  the  faulty — though 
undetectable — tapering,  or  construction  of  the  taper  of  his 
gut  points  with  which  the  cast  is  made.  I  have  invariably 
been  able,  in  a  few  experimental  casts,  to  correct  this  fault 
by  slightly  altering  the  length  of  the  cast. 

It  is  always  advisable  to  test  old  casts  before  throwing 
them  away.  If  the  gut  has  not  been  exposed  to  daylight 
it  will  be  found  that  by  soaking  it  in  a  solution  consisting 
of  water  and  about  ten  per  cent,  of  glycerine  its  usefulness 
may  be  restored. 

The  last  season's  gut  is  sometimes  treated  to  a  judicious 
soaking  in  such  a  solution. 

I  have  found  the  best  material  for  floating  a  line,  or  a  cast, 
to  be  hippopotamus  fat,  but  if  this  be  not  obtainable,  mutton 
fat  is  the  cheapest  and  best  grease  to  take  with  one  for 
applying    to    the   line.     It   certainly   cannot   in   any   way 


AXIOMS,  NOTES  AND  THEORIES  139 

injure  the  lasting  qualities  of  the  tapered  fishing  line  or 
gut,  while  being  all  that  can  be  desired  for  preserving  the 
line  and  making  it  buoyant. 

The  best  method  of  detecting  faulty  gut,  or  a  cast  that 
has  been  weakened  in  the  tying,  is  by  first  looking  to  see 
if  any  white  spots  or  glints  are  showing  in  the  material  of  the 
gut  itself,  and  secondly,  by  bending  the  gut  between  the 
two  hands  at  each  knot.  If  the  gut  is  cracked,  or  has 
become  weakened,  the  curve  of  the  gut  in  the  bend  will 
not  as  a  rule  be  regular. 

Although  an  old  cast  may  appear  to  be  quite  sound  before 
being  used,  after  being  soaked  for  half  an  hour  it  will  some- 
times part  with  surprising  ease,  and  therefore  a  test  on  the 
strength  of  the  gut  should  always  be  made,  after  it  has  been 
carefully  soaked. 

The  Trout  Fly  Rod 

A  perfect  trout  fly  rod  should  be  good  for  both  the  wet  and 
the  dry  fly  methods  of  casting.  A  rod  whose  action  is 
centred  at  or  near  the  spot  whereon  the  ball  of  the  thumb  is 
placed,  will  communicate  to  the  wet  fly  fisherman  the  most 
delicate  touch  by  the  fish  at  the  fly,  and  because  the  thumb 
attention  is  always  continuously  or  subconsciously  engaged 
in  holding  the  rod  such  a  touch  will  always  be  instantly 
appreciated.  Where  a  very  whippy  rod  is  used,  and  when 
the  action  of  this  rod  is  not  so  happily  situated,  a  delicate 
pull  by  a  fish  results  in  a  slightly  and  very  gradually  in- 
creased bend  of  the  rod  point,  not  always  observed,  for  the 
eye  is  seldom,  in  any  method  of  fishing,  directed  to  the  rod. 

Keep  the  metal  sockets  of  your  rod  greased. 

Smear  your  wooden  rods  with  a  little  mutton  fat  before 
putting  them  away  for  the  close  season. 

Use  the  two  tops  of  your  fly  rod  alternately.  A  con- 
venient way  to  remember  this  is  to  see  that  the  top  which  has 


140  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

to  be  used — when  the  rod  is  again  put  together — is  next  to 
the  middle  joint,  when  you  are  putting  the  rod  into  its 
cotton  pockets  at  night. 

While  the  nature  of  the  lure  may  be  varied  with  conspicu- 
ous success  during  the  season,  this  axiom  might  and  should 
be  remembered — The  finer  the  water,  the  finer  the  lure. 

Except  it  be  necessary  to  cast  a  long  line  in  order  to  fish 
some  particular  spot  otherwise  unfishable,  always  keep  well 
within  your  distance,  and  avoid  fishing  a  long  line,  when  a 
shorter  line  will  serve  your  purpose  equally  well. 

When  fishing  from  the  bank  of  a  trout  stream  in  the 
vicinity  of  trees,  bushes,  etc.,  nothing  can  excuse  negligence 
in  failing  to  look  behind  in  the  plane  in  which  a  fresh  back 
cast  has  to  be  made.  Sailormen  have  a  proverb  which  runs, 
"  The  devil  would  make  a  good  sailor,  if  he  would  look  up 
aloft,"  and  I  think  fishermen  might  have  an  equally  trite 
proverb  in — "  The  devil  would  make  a  good  fly  fisherman 
if  he  would  only  look  behind." 

Each  day  on  which  you  fish  should  most  certainly  add  to 
your  knowledge  and  experience,  and  maybe  to  your  skill. 

In  order  to  make  the  best  possible  forward  cast  the  line 
should  be  extended  in  the  backward  cast  directly  away  from 
the  spot  at  which  the  fly  has  to  fall. 

The  line  follows  every  movement  of  the  point  of  the  rod. 

The  name  of  the  method,  by  which  the  casting  of  a  fly  is 
known,  depends  on  the  manner  in  which  the  backward  cast 
is  made. 

Vim  and  not  violence  should  be  used  in  casting. 

'*  Attention  "  is  not  the  recognition  of  a  truth  or  a  fact, 
but  the  consideration  of  it. 


AXIOMS,  NOTES  AND  THEORIES  141 

The  weather  may  be  unpleasant,  the  fish  shy,  your  luck 
villainous,  but  never  be  discouraged  ;  your  luck  must  turn, 
the  fish  must  feed,  the  sim  must  shine,  and  you  must  catch 
fish. 

Bad  luck  at  the  card  tables  may  be  ended  by  a  no-trump 
hand  and  a  big  slam.  The  poorest  day's  fishing  may  be 
concluded  with  the  capture  of  a  record  fish. 

A  perfect  trout  rod  should  be  one  which  can  project  a 
fly  to  any  reasonable  distance,  of  a  taper  which  will  cause 
an  even  and  gradually  increasing  curvature  in  the  rod  from 
the  hand  to  the  top  ring,  as  it  is  brought  into  play,  of  an 
action  which  will  make  its  elasticity  merge  into  that  of  the 
forearm,  and  of  a  material  and  construction  which  will 
resist  the  stress  of  hard  work. 

Do  not  use  your  favourite  fly  fishing  rod  or  line  either  for 
trolling,  spinning,  or  competitive  casting,  or  with  a  desire 
to  show  off  your  distance  casting  ability,  for  your  rod  will 
suffer,  even  though  you  flatter  your  amour-propre  by 
making  a  record  cast. 

One  of  the  many  charms  of  dry  fly  fishing  is  the  correct 
solution  of  problems  affecting  the  first  cast  of  the  fly  at 
a  rising  fish. 

Loch  Fishing- 

In  calm  weather  and  during  certain  hours  of  the  day,  the 
fisherman  will  be  unable  to  obtain  fish  by  the  ordinary 
manner  of  casting  and  fishing  his  flies,  and  the  following  is 
an  excellent  means  of  obtaining  fish  under  such  circum- 
stances. The  fly  or  flies  should  be  allowed  to  sink  slowly 
to  the  bottom  of  the  loch  and  when  they  have  rested  there 
for  a  short  time  should  be  raised  to  the  surface  by  a  series 
of  little  jerks,   and  this  method  repeated  will  frequently 


142  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

result  in  the  fish  being  attracted  by  the  lures  as  they  rise 
through  the  water  to  the  surface. 

Other  circumstances  being  favourable,  the  more  temperate 
the  water  of  a  trout  lake  the  greater  is  the  supply  of  water 
insects,  the  larger  and  more  numerous  the  trout. 

The  rise  of  trout  in  a  loch  or  a  lake  is  never  of  such  a 
regular  character  as  the  rise  of  trout  in  a  stream.  The  loch 
trout  rise  much  more  slowly,  and  will  often  watch  a  dry 
fly  on  the  surface  of  the  water  for  some  minutes  before 
attempting  to  move  upwards  to  investigate  it.  A  dry  fly 
should  therefore  be  allowed  to  remain  on  the  surface  of  the 
water  until  it  sinks.  It  may  then  be  pulled  through,  and 
under  the  water  in  a  series  of  little  twitches,  until  it  is  almost 
at  the  angler's  feet. 

I  remember  adopting  this  method  on  a  lake  in  Ireland 
(see  Plate  XIV.)  with  very  great  success,  for  the  surface  of 
the  water  being  glassy  I  secured  half  my  fish  by  using  these 
tactics. 

Grayling. 

When  comparing  the  fighting  qualities  of  trout  and  gray- 
ling weight  for  weight,  the  former  must,  without  hesitation, 
be  regarded  as  affording  the  better  sport.  That  grayling, 
when  in  the  prime  of  their  condition  and  when  taken  in  cer- 
tain rivers,  afford  most  excellent  sport  is  undeniable,  but  they 
appear  to  me  to  vary  in  their  fighting  qualities  to  a  greater 
degree  than  trout.  Rivers  which  are  rapid,  shallow,  pebbly, 
and  low  in  temperature,  are  those  in  which  I  have  found 
them  at  their  best. 

Grayling  are  less  conspicuous  when  in  the  water  than 
trout,  and,  unless  they  are  on  the  feed,  their  presence  in  the 
deeper  water  of  a  run  or  pool  is  frequently  undetected. 
Even  when  on  the  feed  they  appear  to  lie  at  a  lower  depth 
than  trout,  and  as  they  are  constantly  on  the  move  it  is 


PLATE    XII 


The  Summer  Glory  of  a  Chalk  Stream.     (Test  below  Romsey.) 

PLATE  XIV. 


An  Irish  Trout  Lake. 


AXIOMS,  NOTES  AND  THEORIES  143 

always  more  difficult  to  locate  them.  I  have  killed  a  far 
greater  number  in  the  smoother  portion  of  a  pool  than  in 
the  rougher  water,  but  I  have  killed  them  on  the  wet  fly 
on  the  most  rapid  portions  of  deep  rims  in  such  rivers  as  the 
Warg,  the  Vecla,  and  other  European  waters,  and  at  a  time 
when  they  appeared  to  be  untakable  on  the  quieter  portions 
of  the  same  river. 

When  on  the  feed  grayling  appear  to  be  less  discriminating 
as  regards  the  appearance  and  movements  of  the  flies 
presented  to  them  than  trout,  for  though  they  seem  at  times 
to  have  a  strong  partiality  for  a  certain  fly,  or  certain  flies, 
they  do  not  seem  to  be  "  put  down  "  if  the  fly  or  flies 
presented  to  them  are  brought  to  their  notice  in  a  manner 
which  would  effectually  put  down  a  trout. 

When  in  smooth  water  they  are  best  taken  on  the  dry 
fly  fished  up-stream,  and  two  or  three  dry  flies  can  without 
fear  of  scaring  them,  and  with  considerable  success,  be 
attached  to  a  nine  foot  cast.  Small  flies  are  most  commonly 
used,  but  it  is  quite  a  mistake  to  think  that  the  grayling's 
mouth  is  not  capable  of  taking  the  largest  size  of  a  trout 
hook  ;  I  have  found  it  by  no  means  a  bad  plan  to  put  on 
as  a  tail  fly  a  Wickham  or  Olive  Blue  Dun  on  a  No.  i  size 
hook,  a  Red  Tag  on  a  No.  o  hook,  and  a  Green  Insect  on  a 
00  hook.  Fish  them  as  dry  flies  up  a  pool,  and  then  down 
the  same  pool  partly  as  wet  and  partly  as  dry  flies. 

The  disadvantage  of  fishing  down  stream  is  that  only  one 
grayling  in  about  every  four  that  rise  seems  to  be  secured. 

I  was  fishing  on  the  Tanat  not  long  ago,  down  stream, 
with  a  somewhat  similar  arrangement  of  flies  on  my  cast  to 
that  given  above,  and  found  myself  missing  grayling  after 
grayling  as  they  rose  to  my  flies,  but  on  getting  to  the 
bottom  of  the  pool — in  which  I  had  only  succeeded  in  hooking 
one  fish — I  dried  my  cast  and  fished  upstream,  only  missing 
two  rising  fish,  and  securing  no  less  than  eight  others. 


144  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

Grayling  take  the  wet  or  dry  fly  whether  floating  on  or 
slithering  along  the  surface,  whether  being  drawn  through 
or  allowed  to  float  down  under  the  surface. 

On  the  head  waters  of  the  Vistula  and  the  Dniester,  the 
fly  fishermen  have  a  peculiar  method  of  presenting  the  fly 
to  the  grayling.  They  use  a  long  light  rod,  and,  attached 
to  the  end  of  their  line,  a  light  but  strong  piece  of  split 
bamboo  about  seven  inches  in  length  ;  they  fasten  the  line 
to  the  middle  of  this  bamboo,  to  each  end  of  which  is  secured 
a  piece  of  gut  three  inches  in  length,  on  each  of  which  a 
fly,  either  natural  or  artificial,  is  fixed.  The  method  of 
fishing  is  to  keep  as  much  as  possible  out  of  sight,  and 
suspend  the  seven  inch  split  bamboo  just  above  the  water, 
so  that  the  two  flies  slither  along  the  surface.  By  moving 
along  the  bank,  either  up  or  down  stream,  the  flies  are  thus 
presented  to  the  fish,  and  with  a  considerable  amount  of 
success.  I  did  not  see  enough  of  the  method  to  warrant  my 
recommending  it  in  place  of  the  dry  fly,  but  it  shows  that 
grayling  are  not  easily  put  down. 

The  mouth  of  the  grayling  is  not  only  smaller,  but  it 
is  less  tough  and  more  easily  damaged,  than  that  of  the 
trout,  consequently  a  generally  more  delicate  manner  of 
playing  the  grayling  is  necessary.  So  long  as  a  grayling 
when  hooked  is  on  the  upstream  side  of  the  fisherman,  there 
is  little  danger  of  the  fly  breaking  away  from  its  mouth,  but 
should  the  grayling  get  below  the  fisherman  and  thus  be 
able  to  take  advantage  of  the  strength  of  the  stream,  he  will 
not  only  show  considerable  fighting  qualities,  but  is  far  more 
likely  to  break  away.  He  is  more  easily  hooked,  I  think, 
than  the  trout,  but  also  more  easily  lost  on  this  account  ; 
he  certainly  feeds  on  smaller  varieties  of  insect  life  and  more 
frequently  on  the  larval  than  on  the  flying  state  of  these 
insects. 

The  best  time  in  the  day  for  grayling  fishing  during  the 


AXIOMS,  NOTES  AND  THEORIES  145 

first  part  of  the  season  is  from  lo  a.m.  to  4  p.m.,  but  during 
October  and  until  the  close  of  the  season,  the  most  favour- 
able period  is  from  11  a.m.  till  3  p.m.  Sunshiny  weather 
appears  to  bring  the  grayling  on  the  feed,  and  although  no 
grayling  may  be  seen  rising,  it  is  worth  while  fishing  very 
carefully  during  all  the  hours  above  mentioned.  No  part 
of  a  grayling  stream  should  be  neglected.  Grayling  will 
be  found,  not  only  under  the  banks  of  the  river,  in  the 
deeper  runs  and  shallow  glides,  but  also  in  the  most  rapid 
and  rougher  parts  of  the  stream. 

I  have  found  that  the  best  flies  to  use  for  grayling  are 
the  Red  Tag,  Orange  Tag,  Bumble,  Green  Insect,  Olive 
Quill,  Light  Blue  Dun,  and  Water  Witch.  I  have 
never  killed  grayling  save  with  the  fly,  but  large  baskets 
are  made  with  the  worm,  gentle,  and  *'  Grasshopper/' 
the  latter  also  having  several  maggots  impaled  on  the 
hook.  The  Grasshopper  is  perhaps  the  most  effective 
bait,  but  I  do  not  consider  it  a  very  sporting  method  of 
fishing. 

But  the  prettiest  form  of  bait  fishing  for  grayling,  in  my 
opinion,  is  with  the  float.  A  No.  00  hook,  a  gentle,  and  very 
fine  tackle  should  be  used,  and  with  a  very  light  rod,  and  a 
spinning  reel  such  as  the  lUingworth,  this  method  of  fishing 
will  afford  excellent  sport. 

Grayling  are  in  season  from  July  until  March,  but  they 
will  rise  at  the  fly  at  all  times,  and  in  the  lower  portions  of 
the  Test  and  Itchen,  during  the  May  fly  season,  I  have  found 
them  an  unmitigated  nuisance.  They  are  best  for  the  table 
in  October  and  November,  and  I  think  during  those  months 
they  afford  the  best  sport. 

I  do  not  think  the  introduction  of  grayling  into  a  trout 
stream  is  in  every  case  advisable,  as  they  undoubtedly  oust 
the  trout  to  a  considerable  extent  in  some  rivers,  and  the 
qu2dity  and  number  of  the  trout  certainly  seem  to  suffer.* 

11 


146  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

I  am  certain  from  my  actual  experience  that  a  considerable 
falling  off  in  the  number  of  trout  has  occurred  in  certain 
portions  of  rivers  like  the  Test  and  the  Itchen,  into  which 
grayling  have  been  introduced  during  the  last  thirty  years. 
Grayling  certainly  feed  vigorously  during  the  season  at 
which  trout  spawn,  and  are  known  to  eat  the  ova  of  trout 
and  salmon. 

It  is  because  grayling,  when  introduced  into  some  of  our 
rivers,  eventually  outnumber,  even  if  they  do  not  in  certain 
parts  displace  the  trout,  that  I  regard  the  former  as  being  of 
foreign  origin,  for  if  grayling  were  natural  to  Great  Britain 
it  would  not  be  necessary  to  introduce  them  into  those 
streams  in  which  they  thrive  so  well. 

On  the  other  hand  grayling  fishing  is  an  excellent  winter 
sport,  and  rivers  in  which  they  are  to  be  found  offer  a  charm- 
ing past-time  to  the  wet  and  dry  fly  fisherman  when  the 
trout  season  is  over. 

In  appearance  the  grayling  is,  next  to  the  trout,  the  most 
beautiful  of  our  fresh  water  fish  (see  Plate  XV.).t 

The  grayling  has  a  noticeable  smell  of  thyme,  and  hence 
the  Latin  name  of  Salmo  Thymallus. 

Both  with  grayling  and  with  trout  it  is  well  to  remember 
that  frequently  a  fish,  which  will  take  no  notice  of  a  fly 
on  the  surface,  will  yet  come  after  a  dry  fly  which  is  pulled 
under  the  water  and  towards  the  fisherman,  with  a  series 
of  little  twitches.  It  must  not  be  forgotten  that  flying 
insects,  or  indeed  any  surface  food,  is  the  least  common 
of  any  of  the  foods  on  which  a  fish  will  feed. 


*  Francis  Francis  says  : — "  It  is  a  curious  fact  that  in  good  grayling  streams 
the  trout  are  seldom  of  so  good  a  quality  or  condition  as  they  are  in  pure 
trout  streams." — A  Book  on  Angling,  1885. 

f  Plate  V.  shows  a  morning  catch  of  trout  and  grayling,  the  largest  grayling 
being  three  pounds  and  three  ounces  in  weight,  and  the  largest  trout  four 
pounds  five  ounces. 


CHAPTER    IX 
THE    SCIENCE    OF    CASTING    A    TROUT    FLY. 

Necessity  of  learning  to  cast — ^The  two  principles  of  casting — ^How  to 
learn  to  cast — Casting  with  the  single  handed  rod — Position  when 
casting — ^The  backward  cast — ^The  forward  cast — ^The  movements 
required  when  casting  diagrammatically  considered — Practising 
on  the  lawn  continued — Practising  over  water — Misapplied  force 
when  casting — ^Wrist  and  arm  action — An  appreciation  of  the 
above  methods. 

Necessity  of  Learning  How  to  Cast 

The  difficulties  which  are  met  with  on  an  ordinary  river 
when  fly  fishing  can  always  be  overcome  when  one's 
methods  of  fly-casting  are  perfect.  It  is,  therefore,  of  the 
greatest  importance  not  only  to  know  how  to  cast,  but  how 
to  cast  in  every  style.  Bearing  this  in  mind,  the  reader  will, 
I  hope,  be  induced  to  devote  a  little  time  to  the  following 
description  of  the  various  casts  taught  by  myself,  and  if  a 
little  patient  attention  be  devoted  to  the  matter  it  will,  I 
feel  assured,  repay  him. 

When  actually  fishing,  the  adaptation  of  a  variation  of 
any  habit  perfectly  learnt  in  order  to  overcome  a  new 
difficulty  is  better  than  trying  to  create  an  entirely  new 
method  in  order  to  surmount  any  such  difficulty.  The 
object  of  all  casting  is  to  get  the  fly  to  alight  in  some 
desired  and  definite  place.  To  be  able  to  do  this  to  the  best 
advantage,  the  line  should,  in  the  backward  cast,  be  more  or 
less  extended  in  the  air,  opposite  to  the  direction  in  which 
it  has  to  alight.  The  smallest  backward  curve  of  the  line 
behind  the  rod  will,  however,  suffice  for  the  forward  cast, 

147 


148  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

should  any  danger  exist  immediately  at  the  back  of  the 
fisherman. 

Natural  dangers  such  as  trees,  bushes,  cliffs,  etc.,  and 
artificial  difficulties,  such  as  telegraph-poles,  barbed  wire, 
etc.,  will  prevent  at  times  not  only  the  overhead  backward 
cast  from  being  made,  but  also  many  other  variations  of  the 
curved  cast.  Yet  there  will  always  be  one  variation  at  least 
which  can  be  adopted  in  order  to  bring  the  line  sufficiently 
back  to  be  easily  and  accurately  cast  forward.  The  more 
completely  the  line  can  be  thus  brought  back,  the  better  the 
result  in  the  forward  cast.  There  is  no  place  from  which  a 
fisherman  cannot  cast  his  line  so  long  as  he  can  bring  his 
rod  to  its  usual  backward  angle  (see  Plate  XXV.),  and  so 
that,  between  his  rod  and  the  object,  a  clear  plane  is  open 
for  the  line  in  its  forward  movement. 

The  methods  of  casting  with  a  two-handed  rod  are 
identical  with  those  used  when  casting  with  a  single-handed 
one,  the  difference  between  the  two  rods  being  that,  instead 
of  the  elbow  acting  as  the  pivot  of  the  backward  and  for- 
ward cast  as  in  the  single-handed  rod,  the  pivot  of  the 
double-handed  rod  is  situated  at  a  point  midway  between 
the  two  hands,  and  so  long  as  these  pivotal  points  are 
respectively  maintained,  the  upward  and  backward  and  the 
forward  and  downward  motions  of  the  upper  hand, 
and  the  pivot  of  the  double-handed  rod,  are  respectively 
similar  to  the  same  motion  of  the  hand  and  the  elbow  with 
the  single-handed  rod  (see  Diagrams  8,  13,  17). 

The  Two  Principles  of  Casting 

By  the  term  *'  cast  '*  or  '*  casting,'*  I  include  all  the 
movements  made  by  a  single  or  double-handed  rod  in  lifting 
a  fly  from  any  one  place,  and  casting  it — first,  either  back 
to  the  same  place,  or — secondly,  to  any  other  desired 
position  on  the  water. 


THE  SCIENCE  OF  CASTING  A  TROUT  FLY    149 

In  the  first  place  this  means  a  movement  of  the  rod 
backward  and  forward  in  one  plane. 

In  the  second  place  it  means  a  movement  of  the  rod 
backward  from  one  plane  into  some  other  plane,  and  forward 
in  the  new  plane. 

Every  variety  of  cast  must  be  grouped  under  one  or  other 
of  these  two  principles,  but  the  second  principle,  in  which 
the  fly  is  taken  from  any  one  position  and  cast  to  some  other 
position,  permits  again  of  two  methods — in  one  of  which 
two  distinct  motions  are  made,  as  in  the  Wye  cast,  see  p.  184, 
and  in  the  other  the  cast  from  one  plane  into  some  other 
plane  is  made  in  one  continuous  motion,  as  in  the  Spey 
or  Loop  casts. 

The  casts  made  under  the  first  principle  are  easily 
described  and  drawn,  as  they  are  invariably  made  in  one 
plane.  The  great  difficulty,  however,  of  drawing  diagrams 
relating  to  any  curved  casts  is  that  while  these  casts  have 
to  be  made  in  more  than  one  plane,  the  artist  has  only  one 
on  which  he  can  show  them,  and  for  that  reason  the  latter 
are,  diagrammatic  ally,  somewhat  more  difficult  to  explain. 

The  casts  which  come  under  the  first  principle  include  the 
Overhead  cast,  with  extended  back  movement  of  the  line, 
the  Side  cast,  and  the  Galway  cast. 

The  casts  which  come  under  the  second  principle  are  the 
Wye,  the  Loop,  the  Switch,  and  the  Spey,  or  any  alteration 
of  a  cast  from  one  quarter  to  another  in  a  single  continuous 
movement ;  and  any  cast  in  which  a  danger  has  to  be  avoided 
within  the  radius  of  the  extended  backward  cast. 

First,  then,  we  have  to  consider  the  physical  efforts  which 
are  required  in  casting. 

How  TO  Learn  to  Cast 

The  principle  of  thinking  out  each  movement  should  be 
adopted  when  learning,  but  not  continuously  repeated  for 


150  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

more  than  three  or  four  complete  backward  and  forward 
casts  of  the  rod — a  pause  of  one  or  two  minutes  should  then 
ensue  and  the  process  be  recommenced.  No  lesson  on  one 
subject  should  exceed  one  hour  in  duration  each  day,  but 
the  mind  can  be  directed  to  a  consideration  of  the  exact 
actions  which  constitute  each  complete  backward  and 
forward  movement  of  the  rod  at  as  many  intervals  during 
the  day  as  opportunity  will  afford,  and  the  more  frequent 
the  repetition  of  the  mental  consideration  of  the  exact 
movements  required  the  sooner  will  a  correct  habit  be 
formed.  It  follows  from  this  that  when  once  a  correct  idea 
is  established  in  the  mind  of  the  beginner  as  to  what  he  has 
to  try  to  do,  and  the  immediate  results  which  will  follow 
his  doing  this  correctly,  he  will  with  very  little  difficulty 
acquire  as  a  habit  the  basis  on  which  correct  casting  rests, 
which  is  the  ability  to  extend  the  fly  backward  and 
forward. 

To  ascertain  the  correct  action  of  the  hand  which  grasps 
the  rod,  when  projecting  the  fly  in  the  forward  and  back- 
ward casts,  is  the  first  and  most  important  matter  for 
consideration. 

Every  action  deliberately  performed  in  response  to  desire 
is  made  by  muscles  consciously  or  subconsciously  controlled, 
and  before  they  can  be  subconsciously  controlled,  i.e.,  before 
the  action  becomes  a  habit,  the  brain  cells,  or  cell  controlling 
the  particular  muscles  which  produce  the  action,  must  be 
educated  by  carefully  repeated  mental  consideration  of  the 
exact  movement  or  movements  which  will  effect  the 
object  of  our  desire.  The  more  resolutely  we  adhere  to 
the  habit  of  thinking  out  fully  any  movement  we  have  to 
make  before  allowing  ourselves  to  make  it,  the  more 
quickly  will  a  correct  habit  be  acquired,  and  the  more 
readily  can  we  perform  such  an  action  without  conscious 
effort. 


THE  SCIENCE  OF  CASTING  A  TROUT  FLY    151 

Casting  with  the  Single-handed  Rod 

When  learning  to  cast  a  fly  it  is  advisable  to  do  so  over 
grass  and  not  over  water,  because,  when  casting  on  a  lawn 
no  difficulties  other  than  those  of  acquiring  a  correct  habit 
in  casting  will  be  encountered.  The  line,  when  projected 
forward,  will  lie  on  the  grass,  and  no  matter  how  long  it  be 
left  there,  it  will  not  alter  its  position,  or  become  any  more 
difficult  to  manipulate  by  the  delay,  and  the  attention  can 
thus  be  given  solely  to  the  thoughts  which  must  accompany 
fly  casting. 

If  the  initial  attempts  to  cast  a  fly  are  made  over  water 
the  difficulties  will  be  increased  by  the  fact  that  the  line  and 
fly  will  sink  below  the  surface  whenever  a  pause  is  made 
after  making  the  forward  cast,  and  the  attention  is  thus 
detracted  by  having  to  reel  up  the  line,  or  otherwise  to  get 
it  above  the  surface,  and  to  again  extend  it  prior  to  the 
backward  cast. 

In  the  preliminary  practice  any  old  rod,  reel  and  line  can 
be  used,  provided  that  the  rod  is  not  too  heavy,  and  that 
the  line  be  tapered  and  suitable  to  the  rod.  The  student 
should  not  purchase  a  rod  until  he  has  acquired  the  art  of 
extending  a  straight  and  accurate  line.  When  he  is  able 
to  do  this,  he  will  then  be  better  able  to  select  a  rod  to  suit 
his  strength  and  his  requirements. 

I  am  going  to  assume  that  the  reader  knows  how  to  put 
a  rod  together,  to  place  the  reel  on  the  rod,  and  thread  the 
line  ;  but  just  here  a  word  as  to  the  reel — and  I  am  now 
speaking  to  the  right-handed  fisherman.  Always  use  your 
left  hand  for  manipulating  the  reel — that  is,  have  the  reel 
fixed  on  the  rod  so  that  its  handle  is  pointing  towards  the 
left  hand  when  the  rod  is  being  used.  It  is  quite  a  s-imple 
matter  to  learn  to  use  the  reel  with  the  left  hand,  and  it  is 
of  infinite  advantage  to  the  fisherman.  The  rod  can  thus 
be  always  retained  in  the  right  hand  after  striking  a  fish. 


152  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

avoiding  the  risky  and,  in  my  opinion,  unnecessary  changing 
of  the  rod  from  right  to  left  hand  when  a  fish  is  hooked, 
and  leaving  the  left  hand  free  at  all  times  for  the  landing-net, 
for  manipulating  the  line  and  reel,  for  one's  pipe,  etc. 

The  rod  and  line  being  now  ready,  take  your  stand  in  the 
middle  of  the  lawn.  The  rod  should  be  in  your  right  hand, 
pointing  forward,  the  reel  being  on  its  lower  side,  and  your 
hand  firmly  grasping  the  butt,  with  the  thumb  extending 
along  the  upper  side. 

Position  when  Casting 

The  position  of  your  body  should  be  as  follows  (see 
Plate  XVI.).  The  right  foot  is  advanced  and  pointing  in  the 
direction  of  your  line,  the  left  foot  slightly  behind  and 
pointing  to  the  left,  the  weight  of  the  body  resting  on  both 
feet,  the  right  shoulder  forward,  and  the  body  erect. 

The  upper  part  of  the  right  arm  should  point  downwards, 
with  the  elbow  slightly  in  advance  of  the  body,  and  the 
forearm  be  extended  in  the  same  direction  as  the  rod,  which 
latter  must  be  held  firmly  and  pointing  nearly  horizontally 
(see  Plate  XVI.). 

The  Backward  Cast 

Now  the  object  you  should  have  in  view  is  to  learn  how  to 
cast  your  line  (and  fly)  straight  in  front  of  you,  and  it  wDl 
be  evident  that  before  casting  forward,  you  must  get  the 
line  more  or  less  extended  behind  you  ;  thus  the  back  cast 
— which  effects  this — is  the  first  and  probably  the  most 
important  thing  to  learn  ;  therefore  I  want  you  to  practise 
this  back  cast  before  attempting  to  make  the  forward  one. 

I  will  later  on  describe  how  this  forward  extension  of  the 
line  is  generally  acquired,  but  we  will  assume  that  you 
have  extended — which  is  a  simple  matter — about  twelve 
yards  of  your  line  on  the  grass  in  front  of  you. 


PLATE  XVI. 


PLATE  XVM. 


THE    NORMAL    FISHING   POSITION. 


POSITION    AT    END   OF    BACKWARD    SWITCH. 
NOTICE    THE   LEFT    HAND. 


PLATE    XVIII. 


The  Backward  Switch  of  the  Trout  Rod  as  the  Line  Leaves 

THE  Water. 


THE  SCIENCE  OF  CASTING  A  TROUT  FLY    153 

There  is  one  important  point  to  remember  :  the  right 
elbow  should  be  used  as  the  pivot  of  the  rod,  and  the  hand 
regarded  as  a  socket,  which,  with  the  wrist  rigidly  controlled, 
makes  the  forearm  and  the  butt  one  continuous  part  of  the 
rod. 

Now  raise  the  point  of  the  rod  steadily  and  vertically 
upwards  in  order  to  pick  up  the  line*  and  without  stopping 
this  lifting  movement  of  the  arm  and  rod,  convert  it  into 
a  smart  backward  switch,  stopping  the  rod  suddenly  as  it 
attains  an  angle  of  about  twenty-two  degrees  behind  the 
vertical  (see  Plate  XVII.). 

If  the  forearm  be  brought  backward  until  the  thumb  nail 
is  checked  by  the  peak  of  the  cap,  and  if  the  extended 
thumb  be  used  to  stop  any  further  backward  action  of 
the  rod,  the  wrist  cannot  be  bent. 

Plates  XVII.  and  XVIII.,  and  Diagrams  8  and  9,  show 
clearly  the  correct  position  of  the  rod  and  arm  at  the  end 
of  and  during  the  back  overhead  cast. 

If  the  backward  cast  is  made  properly,  the  line  will  curl 
over  the  top  of  the  rod  and  extend  itself  backward  (see 
Plate  XLI.).  If  the  backward  impetus  of  the  rod  over- 
comes the  rigidity  of  the  wrist,  it  will  simply  be  due  to  the 
fact  that  "  attention  "  is  not  concentrated  on  the  duty  of 
the  thumb. 

The  wrist  must,  however,  be  kept  rigid,  and  therefore 
attention  must  be  so  concentrated  until  this  necessary 
muscular  control  of  the  rod  becomes  a  habit.  It  will 
be  of  great  assistance  when  acquiring  this  habit  if  the 
thumb  be  brought  back  towards  the  face  and  checked  dead 
as  it  reaches  the  peak  of  the  cap. 

*  The  vertical  lift  upward  of  the  point  of  the  trout  and  salmon  rod  is  made, 
not  only  to  raise  the  line  well  from  the  water,  but  in  order  that  the  hand 
which  lifts  the  rod  may  have  plenty  of  distance  to  move  horizontally 
backward  in  the  direction  in  which  the  line  is  to  travel  in  the  back 
cast 


154  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

In  order  that  you  may  grasp  clearly  the  kind  of  action 
required  for  this  back  cast,  you  should  imagine  that  there  is 
a  small  piece  of  wet  clay  stuck  rather  insecurely  on  the  top 
of  your  rod,  and  that  from  the  first  position  as  shown  in 
Diagram  9,  you  have  by  a  steady  but  increasing  force  to 
switch  this  piece  of  clay  off  the  rod  top  in  a  horizontal 
direction  behind  you. 

This  is  exactly  the  kind  of  impulse  required  to  extend 
the  line  backward. 

Remember  always  that  it  is  not  violence,  but  vim,  which 
results  in  a  correct  cast. 

The  force  employed  in  the  back  stroke  should  be  just 
sufl&cient  to  extend  the  line  after  the  backward  action  of 
the  rod  has  been  arrested,  and,  having  been  thus  extended 
the  line  will,  unless  the  forward  cast  be  then  made,  fall 
to  the  ground  behind  you.* 

The  line  should  again  be  extended  on  the  lawn  and  the 
whole  of  this  practice  repeated  until  you  are  satisfied  that 
you  are  able  to  make  the  back  cast  correctly. 

If  you  now  wish  to  make  the  back  cast  without  having 
your  line  extended  on  the  lawn,  shorten  it,  leaving  only 
about  twenty  feet  beyond  the  top  ring  of  your  rod.  Get 
into  the  first  position  again,  but  holding  the  line  in  your 
left  hand,  the  rod  pointing  just  above  the  horizon  (see 
page  159),  extend  your  right  hand  and  at  the  same  time 
lift  it  and  the  point  of  the  rod  together,  letting  go  the  line, 
and  as  it  falls  from  you  in  a  circular  outward  sweep,  make 


*  You  may  find  your  line  during  the  back  cast  coming  into  collision  with 
your  rod,  and  if  this  bothers  you,  you  may  make  a  slight  curve  with  the  rod  to 
one  side  or  the  other  during  the  back  stroke,  thus  keeping  the  rod  clear  of  the 
line  in  its  backward  course.  But  this  collision  can  only  be  due  either  to  a 
faulty  back  stroke,  or  from  using  too  long  a  line.  If  a  correct  motion  of  the 
back  cast  is  made  when  using  a  medium  length  of  line,  it  will  lift  the  line 
above  the  level  of  the  top  of  the  rod  as  the  line  travels  backward. 

If  the  line  be  a  long  one,  some  of  it  may  in  its  backward  journey  by  the 
action  of  gravity  travel  below  the  top  of  the  rod,  and  if  brought  back  in  the 
same  plane  may  collide  with  it. 


THE  SCIENCE  OF  CASTING  A  TROUT  FLY    155 

the  back  cast  as  before.     You  are  now  ready  to  make  the 
forward  cast. 

The  Forward  Cast 

At  the  end  of  this  backward  motion  of  the  rod  it  should, 
being  held  firmly,  remain  stationary  until  the  line  has  ex- 
tended itself,  and  a  pause  is  therefore  necessary  between 


I 


Diagram  8. 

HRT  and  HRT — The  rise  and  the  backward  movement  of  the  trout 

rod. 
HHH  (dotted)    — ^The  two  sides  of  the  triangle  through  which  the 

hand  moves  in  making  the  backward  cast. 
H  H  (solid)  — ^The  third  side  of  the  triangle  made  by  the  hand  in 

the  forward  cast. 


the  backward  and  forward  casts  in  order  to  allow  this 
extension  of  the  line.  It  is  the  correct  timing  of  this 
pause  which  is  one  of  the  secrets  of  a  successful  forward 
cast.  This  pause  will  vary  in  duration ;  the  wind,  the 
quality  of  rod,  the  length  of  line,  and  the  force  and  speed 
of  the  back  cast,  will  all  influence  the  velocity  of  the 
backward-moving  line. 


156  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

Under  average  conditions  I  have  determined  that,  with 
eighteen  yards  of  line  out,  this  pause  should  be  about  four- 
fifths  of  a  second,  which  is  about  equal  to  the  time  we  take 
in  saying  *'  and  thumb  " — a  shorter  line  requiring  a  quicker 
and  a  longer  line  a  more  drawn  out  enunciation.  If,  then, 
the  forward  cast  be  made  immediately  after  these  two  words 
have  been  uttered  aloud,  the  rod  being  forced  down- 
ward by  the  thumb,  and  the  downward  motion  checked 
dead  as  the  hand  reaches  the  level  of  the  elbow  (see 
Diagram  12),  a  perfect  forward  cast  of  the  line  should  be 
achieved. 

This  forward  and  downward  motion  should  start  from 
inertia  and  gradually  increase  in  force  until  it  is  thus 
checked. 

The  action  of  the  rod,  when  commenced,  will  be  accelerated 
more  rapidly  in  the  forward  than  in  the  backward  motion. 
In  the  latter,  the  line,  being  on  the  ground  or  water,  cannot 
suffer  by  falling  any  lower,  however  slowly  the  rod  may  be 
moved  in  raising  it,  whereas  unless  the  forward  acceleration 
of  the  rod  follows  fairly  quickly  on  the  back  stroke,  the  line 
will  faU  to  the  ground,  and  the  forward  cast  will  suffer  in 
consequence.  Exactly  the  same  proportionate  increase  of 
force  must,  however,  be  applied  to  the  backward  or  forward 
switch  when  once  the  line  is  in  the  air. 

When  possible  the  line  should  always  be  allowed  to  extend 
itself  backwards  before  the  return  stroke  is  made,  as  this 
is  the  most  certain  method  of  making  an  accurate  and 
delicate  cast  forward.  In  practice,  although  the  perfect 
extension  of  the  line  backward  at  the  moment  the  forward 
cast  is  made  may  not  always  be  effected,  yet  the  attempt 
will  be  one  which  enables  the  fisherman  to  extend  and  shoot 
his  line  further  than  in  any  other  style  of  overhead  or  side 
casting.  This  style  has  another  advantage,  in  that  it  offers 
less  difficulty  to  the  beginner. 


r 


THE  SCIENCE  OF  CASTING  A  TROUT  FLY    157 

At  the  end  of  the  back  cast  the  fly  should  have  arrived 
at  its  highest  point  of  elevation,  the  rod  point  being  situated 
somewhere  in  the  line  between  it  and  the  place  on  the 
water  where  the  fly  has  to  alight. 

Some  fishermen,  however,  do  not  extend  their  lines  behind 
them,  and  their  overhead  forward  casts  are  in  reality  made 
when  their  line  is  in  a  vertical  backward  curve  or  loop — 
in  other  words,  they  make  their  forward  casts  when  their 
lines  are  in  a  position  such  as  is  shown  in  Plate  XLI.  If 
the  reader  will  turn  to  this  Plate  and  assume  that  in  the 
picture  the  fisherman  is  making  his  forward  cast,  he  will  see 
that  this  forward  impulse  can  only  be  directly  transmitted 
to  the  shortest  portion  of  the  line,  while  a  good  deal  of  the 
impulse  must  be  lost  in  dragging  the  longer  part  of  the  line 
in  the  opposite  direction. 

While  I  experience  no  difficulty  in  casting  in  this  particular 
style  so  long  as  a  perfect  continuity  of  force  of  the  back- 
ward and  forward  action  be  sustained,  yet  I  find  that  a 
successful  wind  cast  is  difficult,  that  my  distance  is  more 
limited,  and  my  accuracy  less.  In  1905,  when  first  putting 
my  theories  into  print,  I  had  to  consider,  not  the  merits  of 
such  a  style  of  casting,  but  whether  a  result  equally  good 
so  far  as  delicacy  was  concerned  would  not  be  more  easily 
acquired  by  permitting  the  line  to  extend  itself  backward 
before  making  the  forward  cast,  and  whether  such  a  style 
would  not  give  equal  delicacy,  greater  accuracy,  and  better 
results  when  casting  against  the  wind  and  for  distance  casting. 

That  I  have  succeeded  in  establishing  the  correctness  of 
my  theories  will,  I  think,  be  generally  admitted.  One  of 
my  most  successful  pupils  in  flycasting,  certainly  as  regards 
success  at  tournaments,  is  Mr.  R.  D.  Hughes,  and  anyone 
who  has  seen  him  use  his  rod  and  line  will  have  noticed  how 
fully  he  permits  his  line  to  extend  itself  behind,  before  he 
makes  his  forward  cast. 


158  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

If  the  line  is  fully  extended,  every  particle  of  impulse 
will  be  applied  to  it  in  the  right  direction,  and  consequently 
a  better  result  should  theoretically  occur,  and  a  greater 
accuracy  be  acquired,  in  that  the  pull  will  not  be  applied 
to  a  curve. 

The  forward  cast,  then,  should  be  made  at  the  expiration 
of  the  pause  before  mentioned  ;  the  force  applied  should 
gradually  increase  in  strength  until  the  rod  is  stopped 
at  an  angle  of  about  twenty-two  degrees  above  the 
horizontal  level  (see  Diagram  12).  This  angle  may  be 
considered  to  be  the  normal  one  at  which  the  downward 
effort  of  the  overhead  cast  ceases,  but  it  alters  when  making 
the  '*  wind  "  and  other  variations  of  the  overhead  cast. 

In  order  to  get  this  forward  cast  correctly,  it  may  be 
advisable  to  imagine  that  you  are  now  switching  forward 
a  small  portion  of  clay  from  the  tip  of  your  rod,  and  that  it 
wiU  be  this  sudden  check  to  the  rod  action  which  causes  the 
clay  to  leave  the  rod  and  fly  forward. 

Similarly  will  the  line,  actuated  by  the  downward  switch 
of  the  rod,  unroll  itself  forward  as  the  rod  is  checked,  bringing 
the  fly  immediately  over  the  spot  on  which  you  wish  it  to 
alight. 

These  instructions  should  be  carefully  considered  and 
practised  for  periods  of  two  or  three  minutes  at  a  time,  the 
whole  of  the  exercise  not  lasting  longer  than  an  hour.  The 
student  should  endeavour  to  direct  the  end  of  the  line  to 
some  definite  mark  on  the  grass,  on  which  the  eye  should  be 
fixed.  A  friend  may  be  asked  to  watch  the  rod,  and  to  see 
that  it  does  not  incline  backward  beyond  the  angle  shown 
in  Plate  XVII. 

It  is  of  the  first  importance  that  when  the  line  is  in  the 
air  it  should  always  be  under  the  influence  of  the  force 
applied  to  it  by  the  rod.  The  wind  when  against  the  back 
cast,  will  frequently  destroy  the  backward  energy  of  the 


THE  SCIENCE  OF  CASTING  A  TROUT  FLY    159 


line  before  it  has  fully  extended  itself,  the  end  of  the  line 
thus  becoming  dead.  The  same  result  will  happen  if  suf&cient 
energy  be  not  applied  to  extend  the  line  fully  backward. 
This  is  a  likely  source  of  danger,  as  the  forward  switch  of  the 
rod  communicates  itself  to  the  dead  portion  of  the  line  with 
a  jerk  which  may  crack  off  the  fly. 

Diagram  12  shows  the  increase  of  force  given  to  the  rod 
during  the  forward  cast. 

As  the  student  practises  and  acquires  the  correct  action 
of  casting,  "  shooting  *'  the  line  will  have  to  be  considered 
and  will  present  no  difficulties  ;  therefore,  I  should  not 
advise  him  to  let  this  adjunct  to  all  perfect  casting  engage 
his  attention  just  at  first. 

I  can  now  condense  this  lesson  into  the  following 
sentences  : — 


Starting  from  the  normal  posi- 
tion '. HORIZONTAL 


H        C 


I.  Raise  the  top  of  the  rod  vertically  to 
an  angle  of  about  sixty  degrees,  or  if  prac- 
tising over  water,  until  nearly  all  the  line 
is  off  the  surface,  don't  pause,  but 


2.  Switch  the  rod  with  ever  increasing  force 
backward,  stopping  it  at  an  angle  of  twenty-two 
degrees  behind  the  vertical  line  of  the  body. 


160 


FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 


3.  Keep  the  rod  stationary  at  this  angle  until  the  line 

has  extended  itself  behind  you,  and  then 

4.  Switch   the  rod    downward    to  its  normal    position, 

and  as  the  line  comes  forward 


j: 


5.  Lower  the  point  of  the  rod  as 
far  as  may  be  advisable  until  the  fly 
alights. 


Condensed  into  words  it 
is  as  follows: — Raise  (to  R  3), 
switch  back  (to  R  4)  and 
Pause  (at  R  4). 


Switch  down  (HR  4  to  R  2) 
and  lower. 


In  these  Diagrams — 

S  represents  the  shoulder. 
H         „  „   hand. 

E         „  „    elbow. 

R         „  „    rod. 

It  must  be  evident  that  the  more  nearly  a  horizontal 
extension  of  the  line  is  obtained,  the  more  lightly  will  it  fall 
to  the  ground. 


THE  SCIENCE  OF  CASTING  A  TROUT  FLY    161 

The    Movements    Required     when     Casting, 
diagrammatically  considered 

Practising  on  the  Lawn  continued 

It  will  now  be  advisable  for  the  student  to  consider  the 
above  instruction  in  a  more  detailed  manner. 

Starting  then  from  the  normal  position,  i.e.,  with  the 
forearm  horizontal,  the  elbow  slightly  advanced,  the  angle 
between  the  upper  arm  and  the  forearm  being  about 
115  degrees,  and  the  rod  inclined  upward  above  the  horizon 
at  an  angle  of  twenty-two  degrees  (see  Diagram  10),  the 
attention  has  to  be  kept  on  the  tip  of  the  forefinger,  which 
is  steadily,  but  with  increasing  force,  raised  vertically 
about  twelve  inches. 

If  the  rod  be  kept  in  its  original  angle  to  the  forearm 
(see  Diagram  10)  by  an  inflexibly  controlled  wrist,  this  will 
increase  its  inclination  to  about  sixty  degrees  above  the 
horizon,  and  will  bring  its  top  ring  to  about  ten  feet 
above  the  lawn,  the  line  being  lifted  well  up  by  this 
movement. 

The  thumb  nail  should  now  be  about  level  with  the  eye, 
and  as  the  elbow  has  been  lifted  a  few  inches  and  advanced 
still  further  away  from  the  body,  the  arm  has  straightened 
itself  somewhat,  opening  the  angle  between  the  forearm  and 
the  upper  arm  to  about  140  degrees  (see  S  E  H  Diagram  9). 

The  lifting  action  is  not  checked,  but  steadily  accelerated 
into  a  backward  cast,  and  is  brought  to  an  abrupt  stop  by 
the  thumb  as  the  forearm  attains  a  vertical  position  (see 
Diagram  9).* 

The  wrist  having  been  kept  rigid  by  the  attention  devoted 
to  the  forefinger  and  the  thumb,  the  rod,  as  it  straightens 
itself,  will  be  inclined  backward — at  its  usual  angle  to  the 

*  One  of  the  objects  of  the  accelerando  movements  of  the  rod  in  its  backward 
and  forward  action  respectively,  is  to  give  the  greatest  impulse  to  the  line 
at  the  moment  when  the  rod  point  is  checked. 

12 


162 


FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 


forearm — twenty-two  degrees  behind  the  upright  (see 
Diagram  9). 

The  completed  backward  cast  lifts  the  line  smoothly,  but 
with  ever  increasing  velocity  from  the  lawn,  and  draws  it 
after  the  top  of  the  rod,  and,  when  the  muscular  force 
ceases,  the  rod,  as  it  straightens  itself,  propels  the  line 
on  its  backward  course. 

After  a  pause  of  about  one  second,  a  forward,  d  »wnward 


horizontal 

Diagram  9. 

Showing  the  curvature  of  the  rod  during  the  rise  and  the  backward 

switch  of  the  trout  rod, 

and  accelerating  action  of  the  thumb  point,  made  with  a 
rigid  wrist,  forces  the  rod  in  a  downward  curve,  this  effort 
stopping  suddenly  as  the  forearm  arrives  at  the  horizontal 
position  (see  Diagram  12,  Plate  XIX.).  As  the  rod 
straightens,  the  line  extends  itself  horizontally,  the  fly 
being  thus  drawn  towards  its  destination. 


THE  SCIENCE  OF  CASTING  A  TROUT  FLY    163 

The  curves  shown  in  Diagrams  9  and  12  made  by  the 
rod  point  in  the  backward  and  forward  casts  are  dissimilar. 

As  the  forearm  is  raised  the  elbow  acts  as  a  moving 
pivot,  and  moves  upward  and  forward,  the  shoulder  thus 
becoming  a  second  pivot  until  the  lifting  movement  of  the 
rod  is  converted  into  the  backward  action,  at  which  moment 
the  pivotal  action  of  the  shoulder  ceases,  and  the  elbow 
remains  a  stationary  pivot  during  the  rest  of  the  backward 
action  (see  Diagram  10). 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  backward  motion  of  the  hand 
and  after  the  thumb  has  checked  the  rod,  a  slight  raising 
movement  of  the  rod  in  the  upward  direction  to  which  it  is 

Diagram  id.  Diagram  ii. 


Movements  of  the  hand  and  elbow  in  the  backward  and  forward  casts. 

H.— Hand. 

E.— Elbow. 

The  reel,  shown  by  circles,  describes  a  spherical  triangle,  as  shown  in 

Diagram  13,  page  176. 

pointing  gives  a  smooth  effective  finish  to  the  back  cast. 
Quite  apart  from  this  optional  movement,  two  different 
curves  will  be  made  by  the  rod  top  in  the  back  cast.  In  the 
lifting  movement  the  rod  point  describes  a  segment  of  an 
ellipse  with  the  shoulder  and  elbow  as  pivotal  points,  and  in 
the  backward  movement  it  describes  the  arc  of  a  circle  with 
the  elbow  as  pivot,  the  compound  pivotal  movement 
resulting  in  two  curves  as  shown  in  Diagram  10. 

In  the  forward  and  downward  action  of  the  rod  one  curve 
only  is  made  by  the  rod  point ;   the  pivotal  movements  of 


164 


FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 


the  shoulder  and  elbow,  acting  together  in  one  movement, 
produce  the  elliptical  curve  as  shown  in  Diagram  12. 

In  the  forward  cast  it  will  be  seen  that  the  forearm  at 
the  end  of  its  downward  effort  is  in  a  horizontal  position, 
but  that  the  direction  in  which  the  rod  is  pointed  and  held 
in  the  inflexible  grasp  of  the  hand  is  about  twenty-two 
degrees  above  the  horizon,  the  forearm  being  inclined 
to  the  upper  arm  at  an  angle  of  about  112  degrees 
(see  Diagram  12). 


VERTICAL 


HORIZONTAL 

Diagram  12. 
Showing  the  curvature  of  the  rod  in  the  forward  cast. 


As  the  line  extends  itself  forward  the  elbow  is  allowed  to 
fall  back  to  the  side,  thus  bringing  the  forearm,  which 
finished  in  the  horizontal  plane,  to  twenty-two  degrees 
below  it,  the  rod  attaining  a  horizontal  position  as  the  line 
drops  towards  the  water  (see  page  160). 


THE  SCIENCE  OF  CASTING  A  TROUT  FLY    165 

It  is  at  the  commencement  of  this  final  lowering  of  the 
rod  that  the  slack  line  should  be  released  in  "  shooting." 
When  the  fly  has  settled  on  the  water,  the  forearm  can  be 
again  raised  as  desired  to  its  horizontal,  i.e.,  normal,  position 
(see  page  160). 

In  the  backward  cast  the  power  gradually  applied  is 
greater  at  the  beginning  of  the  upward  movement,  for  the 
rod  and  line  have  to  be  lifted,  and  the  latter  has  to  be  forced 
from  the  frictional  contact  of  the  water,  and  though  the 
movement  of  the  top  of  the  rod  is  thus  checked,  the  velocity 
of  the  hand  is  accelerated.  The  higher  the  rod  is  lifted  the 
less  becomes  its  weight  on  the  forefinger,  and  the  less  the 
pull  of  the  water,  yet  its  velocity  has  to  be  increased  in 
order  to  keep  the  bend  in  the  rod  and  thus  to  give  the  greatest 
impulse  to  the  line  at  the  moment  at  which  the  backward 
effort  ceases.  In  the  forward  cast  the  frictional  resistance 
of  the  water  has  not  to  be  encountered,  and  therefore  the 
curve  becomes  more  regular  and  wholly  eccentric  (see 
Diagram  12),  the  elbow  making  one  continuous  downward 
and  backward  motion  (see  E.  Diagram  12),  the  pivotal  move- 
ment of  the  upper  arm  at  the  shoulder  harmonizing  with 
this  elliptical  curve. 

Practising  over  Water 

The  student  should  soon  acquire  the  ability  to  extend 
his  line  easily  and  lightly  in  any  desired  direction.  He 
should  always  remember  to  point  his  right  foot  and  to  keep 
his  eye  directed  toward  the  spot  at  which  he  wishes  his  fly 
to  alight. 

When  he  has  acquired  accuracy  in  this  important  matter, 
he  can  commence  his  casting  on  any  available  and  adjacent 
water.  A  fairly  stout  and  well-soaked  cast  of  gut,  about 
six  feet  in  length,  and  an  artificial  fly  of  fairly  large  pattern, 
should  be  attached  to  the  end  of  his  tapered  line,  the  point 


166  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

of  the  hook  being  broken  off.  For  his  own  convenience 
that  part  of  the  line  he  is  likely  to  use,  as  also  the  fly, 
should  be  greased  either  with  bear  or  mutton  fat. 

He  should  anchor  a  wooden  hoop  in  the  water  about 
fifteen  yards  away,  and  continue  his  practice,  trying  to  cast 
the  fly  within  the  circle  of  the  hoop,  and  endeavouring  to 
do  it  in  a  light  and  delicate  manner.  When  casting  on 
water  the  necessity  of  steadily  raising  the  rod  before  making 
the  back  cast  will  be  appreciated. 

When  about  to  make  the  back  cast  the  rod  point  should 
be  lowered  towards  the  water,  and  if  there  be  any  slack 
line  it  should  be  drawn  in  by  the  left  hand.  The  rod 
should  then  be  raised,  gently  at  first,  but  with  an  ever- 
accelerating  motion  culminating  in  the  backward  switch  as 
the  fly  leaves  the  water. 

It  is  good  practice  to  attain  the  full  extension  of  the  line 
by  a  series  of  backward  and  forward  casts  without  per- 
mitting the  line  to  touch  or  fall  upon  the  water,  the  back 
cast  being  made  at  the  moment  the  line  has  extended  itself 
forward.  It  not  only  enables  the  beginner  to  obtain  a 
correct  action,  by  striving  for  the  horizontal  extension  of  his 
line,  but  teaches  him  the  time  which  it  takes  for  the  line  to 
extend  itself  backward,  the  forward  extension  being  observ- 
able, and  occupying  the  same  length  of  time  as  that  taken 
by  the  backward  extension. 

The  Application  of   Force  to  the   Rod,  and  its 

Results 

As  the  rod  should  be  imparting  its  greatest  impulse  to  the 
line  at  the  instant  the  backward  or  the  forward  action 
ceases,  and  as  the  hand,  wrist  and  forearm  are  at  this  instant 
rigid,  the  latent  force  communicated  to  and  partially  held 
by  the  rod,  as  shown  by  its  curvature,  is  now  able — as  the 
rod  straightens  itself — to  communicate  its  pent  up  energy 


THE  SCIENCE  OF  CASTING  A  TROUT  FLY    167 

to  the  line,  and  it  is  thereafter  the  line  passes  the  rod  point, 
and,  unrolling  on  itself,  pulls  the  fly  backward  or  forward 
to  its  destination.     (See  Diagram  14). 

When  a  correctly  accelerating  force  is  applied  to  the  rod 
with  an  ordinsiry  length  of  cast  and  under  ordinary  circum- 
stances, the  line  and  fly  must  travel  backward  or  forward, 
above,  or  outside  the  radius,  of  the  top  of  the  rod. 

Misapplied  Force  when  Casting 

If,  however,  at  the  commencement  or  during  the  backward 
action  of  the  rod  a  snatching  or  jerking  impulse  is  given, 
the  line  will  overtake  the  rod  at  a  lower  level  than  its  top 
ring  and  may  coUide  with  it.  When  a  correct  impulse 
is  given,  the  rod  point  should  not  carry  its  impetus  beyond 
the  level  at  which  its  switching  momentum  has  been 
checked,  for  the  energy  contained  in  the  bend  of  the  rod 
becomes  exhausted  by  the  time  the  rod  has  straightened 
itself. 

If  then,  at  the  end  of  the  downward  stroke,  the  fisherman 
finds  his  rod  vibrating,  thrashing  the  water,  or  hitting  the 
lawn  on  which  he  may  be  practising,  he  will  know  that  this 
is  entirely  due  to  a  faulty  method  of  applying  force  to  his 
rod. 

This  fault  may  be  compared  to  that  known  to  golfers  as 
"  snatching." 

If  the  backward  and  forward  efforts  in  casting  should  be 
from  nothing,  i.e.,  a  position  of  inertia,  to  maximum,  or 
in  other  words  be  of  an  accelerating  nature,  then  the  reverse 
actions  must  be  wrong. 

To  start  the  rod  by  a  sudden  jerking  impulse  leads  to  the 
following  results  : — 

In  the  forward  cast  the  line  is  directed  upward  instead  of 
forward. 

The  line    unrolls   on    itself   in   a   large    curve,   and  its 


168  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

forward  impulse  is  weakened  by  the  frictional 
resistance  of  the  air  through  which  it  has  to  travel. 
See  Diagram  15. 
The  jerky  impulse  communicated  to  the  line  causes  it  to 
overtake  the  rod  point  before  the  forward  and  down- 
ward cast  is  finished,  and  thus  releases  the  bend  on 
the  rod,  which  therefore  vibrates  and  imparts  a 
prejudicial  undulation  to  the  line  as  it  extends 
itself.     (See  Plate  XX.). 

It  fails  to  extend  the  line. 

It  makes  it  difficult  to  cast  against  the  wind. 

In  the  backward  cast  the  line  is  jerked  off  the  water,  and 
not  only  are  the  fish  scared,  but  the  cane  rod  is 
strained  and  the  wooden  one  snapped. 

The  rod  vibrates  at  the  end  of  the  forward  cast, 
and  very  possibly  strikes  the  water,  or  the  lawn, 
etc. 

I  have  purposely  avoided  confusing  the  student's  mind  in 
the  instructions  contained  in  this  chapter  by  bringing 
in  the  arguments  and  the  reasons  which  lie  behind  the 
mental  and  physical  efforts  he  has  to  make  in  acquiring  a 
correct  habit  of  projecting  his  fly  backward  and  forward  in 
the  overhead  cast,  and  while  I  think  it  quite  possible  that 
many  of  my  readers  might  be  able  to  acquire  the  overhead 
and  other  casts  by  carefully  studying  my  directions,  I 
feel  assured  that  the  greater  number  of  them  will  appreciate 
a  deeper  insight  into  the  laws  which  govern  the  correct 
method  of  casting. 

I  have  yet  to  convince  many  fishermen  that  the  methods 
I  have  originated  must  eventually  supersede  certain  former 
ideas  as  to  the  most  correct  method  of  casting  a  fly,  and  I 
should  consider  myself  unworthy  of  the  great  kindness 
shown  and  expressed  by  my  clients  if  I  did  not  make  this 


PLATE    XIX. 


The  Correct  Downwaku  AciioN   of  the  Trout    Rod. 

AND    THE    EXTENSION    OF    THE    LINE. 

PLATE    XX. 


A  Faulty  Downward  Actiox  of  the  Salmon  Rod 

SHOWING    THE    UNDULATION    OF   THE    LINE. 


THE  SCIENCE  OF  CASTING  A  TROUT  FLY    169 

work  conclusively  a  scientific  treatise,  as  well  as  a  practical 
aid  in  casting. 

My  theories  apply  not  only  to  the  single-handed  rod,  but 
also  to  the  double-handed  rod,  and  I  have  great  pleasure  in 
publishing  in  this  work,  and  for  the  first  time,  the  principles 
which  must  govern  the  true  method  of  using  the  rod  when 
spinning  from  the  reel,  which  principles  will  be  found  to  be 
capable  of  as  accurate  and  as  scientific  a  definition  as  that 
which  attends  the  accurate  casting  of  a  trout  or  salmon 
fly,  or  which  accompanies  the  art  of  using  a  straight  bat. 

If  the  habit  of  extending  the  line  and  fly  in  the  overhead 
cast  backward  and  forward,  so  that  it  falls  with  delicacy  and 
accuracy  at  any  desired  spot,  be  acquired  as  a  knack,  and 
not  as  the  result  of  a  continued  repetition  of  a  carefully 
considered  mental  process,  it  will  not — even  if  the  knack 
be  remembered — assist  the  fisherman  to  use  his  hand  or 
hands  in  any  other  form  of  the  same  cast,  or  to  make  any 
other  recognized  casts. 

When  merely  the  knack  of  doing  a  thing  is  acquired  by 
anyone,  it  is  difficult  for  such  an  one  without  a  considerable 
amount  of  mental  analysis  to  explain  the  methods  of  doing 
it  or  to  properly  instruct  others.  He  may  say — *'  Watch 
me  carefully  as  I  do  this  or  that,  and  try  to  do  the  same," 
and  his  pupil,  after  more  or  less  labour,  may  acquire  more 
or  less  knack,  but  it  will  not  assist  the  latter  to  acquire  any 
other  style  of  casting,  unless  he  fuUy  analyzes  the  knack 
he  has  acquired,  finds  out  exactly  what  his  muscles  are 
doing,  and  then  determines  the  mental  processes  which 
should  be  applied  to  the  muscles  in  order  to  carry  out 
any  new  cast. 

If  he  knows  what  he  has  to  think  of  in  order  to  get 
his  muscles  to  do  their  work,  he  can,  when  he  knows  how  the 
rod  should  be  moved  in  any  one  style  of  casting,  be  able  to 
vary  the  mental  process  by  which  his  former  action  was 


170  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

performed,  and  rapidly  achieve  success  in  this  new  method 
of  casting  a  fly.* 

Wrist  and  Arm  Action 

At  no  time  when  in  the  act  of  casting  with  a  single-handed 
rod  should  the  relationship  between  the  rod,  the  hand,  the 
wrist  and  the  forearm  be  relaxed.  Just  as  the  metal  sockets 
of  each  rod  joint  form  the  different  lengths  of  the  rod  into 
one  vibrant  whole — so  should  the  hand,  with  as  subconscious 
a  mental  effort  as  that  which  controls  the  grasp  of  the 
fingers  on  the  pen  or  pencil  with  which  we  are  writing, 
make  the  forearm  into  another  and  final  length  of  the 
rod. 

To  learn  to  do  this  "  attention  "  must  be  maintained  in 
the  mind  and  concentrated  on  the  finger  and  thumb  of  the 
hand  when  holding  the  rod  during  practice,  and  continued 
until  the  muscles  are  controlled  subconsciously — that  is, 
until  a  correct  habit  of  thus  holding  and  using  the  rod  is 
formed. 

The  line,  being  always  attached  to  the  rod,  is  affected 
by  its  every  movement,  and  it  is  necessary,  therefore,  that 
the  rod  should  travel  through  definite  arcs,  through  definite 
planes,  and  with  definite  velocities,  having  a  definite  pivotal 
action,  and  being  actuated  by  definite  muscles.  If  the 
thumb  and  fingers  holding  the  rod  are  loosened,  or  a  wrist 
action  is  enforced,  the  hand  loses  the  aid  of  the  principal 
muscles  of  the  forearm,  and  a  weakened  impulse  is  all  that 
can  be  communicated  to  the  rod,  to  the  line,  and  to  the  fly, 
by  the  muscles  controlling  the  wrist.  The  wrist  is,  or  should 
be,  kept  under  rigid  control  during  the  whole  time  in  which 
the  hand  is  employed,  either  when  holding  the  rod  when  the 

1  *  "Let  the  young  angler  be  content  with  doing  what  he  does  do  well; 
increasing  his  range  of  practice  by  little  and  slow  degrees,  and  making  sure 
fishing  of  every  extra  foot  he  gains." —  A  Work  on  Angling,  1885,  by 
Francis  Francis. 


THE  SCIENCE  OF  CASTING  A  TROUT  FLY     171 

fly  is  being  cast,  or  when  the  rod  is  extended  in  the  act  of 
fishing. 

When  I  refer  to  the  mistake  of  bending  the  wrist  and  to 
the  action  so  frequently  alluded  to  by  fishermen  as  a 
"  delicate  wrist  action/'  I  mean  that  bending  of  the  wrist, 
which  permits  the  hand  to  move  as  a  hinge  to  and  fro  in 
the  same  plane  as  that  in  which  the  fingers  and  thumb  are 
fixed. 

Now  the  beginner  will  have  to  decide  whether  he  will  use 
those  muscles  which  are  always  brought  into  play  when 
any  determined  and  controlled  effort  is  made  which  affects 
the  raising,  lifting,  or  other  motion  of  any  article  held  between 
the  fingers  and  the  thumb — or  whether  he  will  attempt  to 
educate  muscles  which  have  neither  by  evolution  or  practice 
been  used  when  thus  lifting  a  weight. 

The  muscles  controlling  the  wrist  are  intended,  and  are 
used,  by  man  for  the  main  purpose  of  keeping  the  wrist 
rigid,  in  order  that  the  muscles  of  the  forearm  can  supply 
their  energy  to  the  work  which  has  to  be  done  by  the  hand. 
The  mental  processes  controlling  our  hand  movements 
have,  through  the  many  and  repeated  efforts  and  struggles 
of  childhood  and  youth,  become  so  intimately  a  portion  of 
our  every  action,  that  the  thought  of  any  movement  of  a 
finger  or  the  thumb  is  sufficient  to  stiffen  the  wrist  and  thus 
permit  their  control  by  the  muscles  of  the  forearm.  The 
muscles  in  the  forearm  are  thus  subconsciously  controlled 
by  the  brain  to  this  purpose,  and  it  is  only  with  the  greatest 
difficulty  we  can  acquire  any  other  mental  habit  which  will 
enable  us  to  utilize  other  and  less  trained  muscles  to  carry  out 
our  desires  in  any  but  our  accustomed  manner.  Hence  the 
difficulty  of  learning  to  cast  by  means  of  a  separate  muscular 
movement  of  the  wrist. 

The  action  of  the  rod  on  the  line  when  casting  a  fly  is 
of  an  uncoiling  nature  :    the  word  *'  throw  "  as  expressing 


172  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

the  action  of  casting  the  fly,  leads  to  confusion  in  the  mind 
of  the  beginner,  who,  associating  the  word  "  throw  "  with 
its  usual  application,  uses  the  muscles  of  his  arm  in  an 
endeavour,  by  a  throwing  action,  to  get  his  fly  forward  to 
its  destination.  But  the  idea  of  "  throwing  "  the  fly,  i.e., 
making  a  **  forward  "  throwing  action  with  the  rod,  should 
be  banished  from  the  mind,  and  the  brain  used  in  a  different 
sequence  of  thought. 

Unfortunately  the  ideas  handed  down  to  us  by  past 
authorities  on  the  art  of  fly  casting  have  resulted  in  our 
attempting  to  alter  this  universal  method  of  using  the 
forearm  muscles  in  our  every  day  action,  with  a  result  which 
has  made  effective  fly  casting  a  habit  most  difficult  and  most 
tedious  to  acquire.  Such  a  variation  of  a  habit  effectually 
displaces  the  natural  dependence  we  repose  in  the  judgment 
of  our  own  senses,  and  those  who  effect  the  backward  and 
forward  action  of  their  rod  by  a  mentally  determined  move- 
ment of  the  wrist  lose  the  ability  to  distinguish  readily  and 
without  a  more  or  less  prolonged  trial,  the  most  common 
and  gravest  fault  in  all  single-handed  rods,  viz.,  the  hit. 

The  rod  should  become,  so  far  as  its  action  is  concerned, 
a  portion  of  the  forearm,  and  its  elasticity  should  merge  into 
the  elasticity  of  the  holder,  or  otherwise  there  will  be  a  point 
at  which  an  abrupt  change  from  one  to  another  state  of 
elasticity  takes  place.  This  more  or  less  abrupt  change 
does  occur  between  each  joint  of  the  rod,  but  the  strain  of 
this  is  borne  by  the  rigid  metal  sockets,  and  the  mechanical 
skill  of  the  rod  maker  is  thus  able  to  merge  the  elasticity  of 
the  top  joint  into  that  of  the  middle  joint,  and  of  the  middle 
point  into  the  butt  end ;  and,  if  the  rod  has  a  good  action, 
this  elasticity  should  merge  through  the  hand  used  as 
another  socket — by  the  wrist  into  the  forearm,  and  thus  it 
is  the  muscles  of  the  forearm  which  should  do  the  work, 
and  the  elbow  becomes  the  pivot  of  the  action  of  the  rod. 


I 


THE  SCIENCE  OF  CASTING  A  TROUT  FLY    173 

If  the  rod,  however  well  its  action  be  modulated,  from  the 
top  to  its  handle,  does  not  continue  to  modulate  itself  into 
the  elasticity  of  the  arm,  there  will  be  a  hit,  and  this  hit, 
though  perhaps  unobserved  when  the  muscles  which  control 
the  arm,  wrist  or  hand  are  fresh  and  untired,  soon  becomes 
apparent  when  the  rod  is  in  constant  use,  and  after  a  few 
minutes,  an  hour,  or  a  few  hours,  as  the  case  may  be,  the 
amount  of  this  hit  will  most  assuredly  draw  the  owner's 
attention  to  the  relative  quality  of  this  defect. 

The  dry  fly  rod  then,  whose  parts  are  so  relatively  con- 
structed as  to  give  the  best  results  when  projecting  the  line 
and  fly,  and  which  brings  the  least  strain  on  the  wrist  of  the 
fisherman,  will  be  the  one  in  which  no  hit  can  be  distinguished 
when  casting  with  the  elbow  as  pivot,  with  the  muscles  of 
the  forearm  as  the  force,  and  the  wrist  as  an  inflexible 
connection — making  the  forearm  and  the  rod  into  a  vibrant 
whole  from  the  elbow  to  the  top  ring. 

An  Appreciation  of  the  above  Methods 

It  is  with  much  pleasure  that  I  insert  the  following 
letter  which  I  have  recently  received  from  a  gentleman 
well-known  in  athletic  circles,  and  one  of  the  keenest 
sportsmen  I  have  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting. 

"  26th  April,  1 913. 
"  Dear  Mr.  Shaw, — I  must  write  you  a  short 
line  of  thanks  for  the  most  excellent  lessons  you  have 
given  me  in  casting.  I  finished  them  with  the  feeling 
that  for  the  first  time  I  really  know  something  about 
the  handling  of  a  fly — and  spinning  rod,  and  that  I 
thoroughly  understand  the  principles  on  which 
the  various  casts  depend.  I  never  realized  before  the 
degree  of  power  and  accuracy  which  was  possible 
with  a  rod,  or  that  it  could  be  attained  so  rapidly  and 
by  methods  so  simple.  I  do  not  think  that  I  can 
describe  in  fewer  or  more  laudatory  words  the  peculiar 


174  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

excellence  of  your  system  of  manipulation  and 
teaching.  It  seems  to  me  that  anyone  of  reasonable 
capacity,  by  grasping  and  following  out  your  instruc- 
tions, can  get  a  '  regularity  of  pattern  '  impossible 
under  any  system  less  thorough  ;  there  is  between 
yours  and  any  other  teaching  that  I  have  ever 
received,  the  whole  difference  between  what  is 
scientific  and  what  is  merely  empirical. 

"  May  I  say  further  that  it  seems  to  me  that  to 
any  one  who  can  practise  it,  your  system  affords 
a  very  satisfactory  test  of  rods  and  lines.  Uniformity 
of  method  in  casting  requires  uniformity  of  rod- 
action  ;  the  one  must  accompany  the  other  if 
satisfactory  results  are  to  be  obtained.  Anyone 
who  has  acquired  your  method  of  casting,  should 
therefore,  be  able  to  know  by  the  feel  of  a  rod  whether 
it  is  a  good  one  or  not ;  accurate  mechanical  action 
should  give  an  accurate  mechanical  test.  If,  as  I 
believe,  I  am  right  in  holding  this  view,  the  gain  to 
your  pupils  should  be  a  double  one ;  not  merely  should 
they  be  able  to  cast,  but  also  to  choose  themselves 
a  suitable  weapon.  I  do  not  think  that  there  is  a 
better  proof  of  the  scientific  soundness  of  your 
method. 

'*  Moreover,  by  insisting  not  merely  upon  accurate 
movements,  but  upon  the  principles  that  underlie 
them,  you  can  provide  your  pupils  with  a  basis  upon 
which  they  can  continue  and  extend  your  lessons 
for  themselves.  I  wish  that  this  science  of  physical 
motion  could  be  applied  to  other  branches  of  athletics. 
I  am  inclined  to  think  that  the  results  would  be 
surprising. 

"  Believe  me, 

"  With  many  thanks, 
'*  Yours  truly, 

"  F C — r 

Now,  as  we  have  already  seen,  all  that  is  necessary  in 
order  to  make  an  accurate  cast  forward  is — first,  an  extension 


THE  SCIENCE  OF  CASTING  A  TROUT  FLY  175 

of  the  line  backward  in  a  direction  away  from  the  place  at 
which  the  fly  has  to  alight,  and — secondly,  an  accurate 
extension  of  the  line  and  fly  forward  in  the  plane  in  which 
the  eye,  the  toe,  and  the  fish  are  situated,  and  therefore 
the  mental  process  and  the  attendant  muscular  exertion 
best  suited  to  this  desired  result  should  first  of  all  be 
comprehended,  then  practised  and  thus  made  into  a  habit. 

The  only  perfect  way  to  acquire  any  habit  which  is  worth 
learning  is  through  the  mind.  The  mental  consideration 
of  how  to  perform  any  action  leads  to  its  perfect  physical 
performance. 

This  performance  is  achieved,  however,  through  a  sub- 
conscious action  of  the  brain — previously  acquired — 
so  long  as  the  performer  is  sane  and  healthy  in  mind  and 
body.  In  other  words,  there  is  no  such  thing  as  a  reflex 
action  of  the  muscles  which  carries  out  that  which  can 
be  considered  a  habit.  No  purely  muscular  action  can  be 
regarded  as  a  habit.  The  brain  of  man  may  appreciate 
and  enable  him  to  repeat  any  action  and  he  may  make  such 
an  action  into  a  habit,  but  this  alone  is  purely  acquiring  the 
habit  as  a  knack,  and  so  long  as  the  brain  is  in  touch  with 
the  muscles  he  can  perform  this  knack. 

But  when  in  addition  to  the  appreciation  necessary  to 
acquire  a  knack,  the  brain  analyzes  the  action,  comprehends 
the  muscular  movements  which  have  to  be  made,  and  en- 
forces on  the  muscles  of  the  body  a  similar  action,  and  by 
repetition  of  such  thought  forms  a  habit,  it  can  no  longer 
be  considered  as  being  learned  as  a  knack. 

In  learning  to  cast  the  fly  with  a  single-handed  rod,  the 
different  movements  required  of  the  hand  and  arm  are 
simple  ones,  which  we  have  been  accustomed  to  make  many 
times  each  day  of  our  life,  and  each  of  such  movements  has 
thus  become  a  separate  habit.  It  is  not  therefore  the 
difficulty    of    making    each    of   these    movements,    but    of 


176  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

co-ordinating  them  in  a  sequence  which  will  result  in 
casting  a  fly  properly. 

I  have  by  analysis  dissected  the  mental  and  physical 
processes  which  result  in  a  perfect  method  of  casting,  and 
have  stripped  every  unnecessary  item  from  the  sequence  of 
thought  which  is  absolutely  required. 

The  mental  process  of  the  student  should  therefore  follow 
the  outline  which  I  have  thus  presented  to  his  notice,  which 
consists  of  three  movements  of  the  hand — the  upward,  the 


Diagram  13. 

Showing  the   three  movements  of 

the  hand  in  making  the  overhead 

cast. 

AB — Raise. 
BC— Back. 
CA— Down. 


backward,  and  the  downward — or  to  make  the  matter  still 
more  plain,  an  action  of  the  hand  which  follows  the 
perpendicular,  the  base  and  the  hypothenuse  of  an  inverted 
right-angled  spherical  triangle.  This  mental  process  should 
be  adhered  to  until  it  is  made  into  a  habit,  and  the 
skeleton  work  should  not  be  reclothed  by  the  thoughts  and 
ideas  of  the  beginner  when  practising. 

Diagram   13,  illustrates    not  only  the  three  movements 
of  the  hand  in  making  the  overhead  or  side  casts  with  the 


THE  SCIENCE  OF  CASTING  A  TROUT  FLY   177 

single  handed  rod,  but  also  the  movements  made  by  the 
upper  hand  on  the  salmon  rod  when  making  similar 
casts.  It  will  be  seen  that  these  movements  form  the 
side  of  an  inverted  right  angled  spherical  triangle,  the 
upward  movement  describing  the  perpendicular,  the  back- 
ward movement  the  base,  and  the  downward  movement 
the  hypothenuse  of  such  a  triangle. 


13 


CHAPTER     X 
DIFFERENT    METHODS    AND    STYLES    OF    CASTING 

Casting  a  long  distance — ^The  Wind  cast — ^Trout  rod — ^The  Wye  cast — 
The  Steeple  and  Galway  casts — ^The  Side  cast — ^The  Loop  cast — 
The  Loop  cast  for  the  trout  rod — ^The  Switch  cast — ^The  Spey  cast 
or  throw — ^The  Loop  cast  instead  of  the  Spey  throw — Shooting  the 
line — ^Force  used  in  casting — ^The  drag  also  the  sag — ^Avoiding  the 
drag. 

The  following  methods  of  throwing  a  fly  will  embrace 
every  distinctive  kind  of  cast  which  can  be  made  with 
a  single-handed  trout  fly-rod,  and  I  think  they  will  be 
found  to  overcome  every  difficulty  met  with  when 
fly  fishing. 

A  separate  chapter  is  devoted  to  casting  a  fly  with  a  two- 
handed  rod,  but  there  is  no  difference  in  the  angles  or 
directions  through  which  the  latter  kind  of  rod  will  move, 
and  no  other  than  a  relative  difference  in  the  force  which  is 
applied.  The  only  difference  is  that  two  hands  are  used 
instead  of  one,  and  the  main  pivot  of  the  cast  is  not  the 
elbow  of  one  arm,  but  a  point  in  the  rod  handle,  which  is 
situated  midway  between  the  two  hands  when  holding  the 
rod. 

The  reader  will,  I  think,  understand  from  what  has  gone 
before,  that  the  pivot  of  either  the  single  or  double-handed 
rod  action  is  in  reality  a  moving  and  not  a  stationary  one 
(see  Diagrams  163). 

The  action  of  the  two-handed  rod  is  slower  and  not  so 
brilliant  as  the  single-handed  rod,  and  the  line  as  a  con- 
sequence is  relatively  slower  in  its  backward  and  forward 
motions. 

178 


DIFFERENT  METHODS  OF  CASTING  179 

Casting  a  Long  Distance 

When  endeavouring  to  "  get  out  "  a  particularly  long 
line,  you  must  always  remember  that  you  can  cast  forward 
a  greater  length  of  line  than  you  can  lift  off  the  water.  The 
final  back  cast  should  be  of  such  a  length  that  you  are 
absolutely  certain  of  not  only  lifting  your  line  off  the  water, 
but  of  extending  it  behind  you  in  a  live  state — i.e.,  so  that 
every  portion  of  the  line  should  be  still  under  the  influence 
of  its  initial  backward  impetus  when  you  make  your  final 
forward  cast. 

The  secret  of  long-distance  casting,  therefore,  consists  in 
the  actual  knowledge  of  the  greatest  length  of  line  which 
you  can  lift  and  cast  backward  and  forward  in  a  live  state, 
and  the  ability  to  shoot,  i.e.,  get  out  the  greatest  amount  of 
line  in  your  forward  cast.  To  be  able  to  cast  a  long,  and 
at  the  same  time  an  accurate  and  delicate  line  is  of  inestim- 
able use  at  times  when  dry  fly  fishing.  The  greater  the 
distance  at  which  you  can  reach  your  fish,  the  less  necessity 
there  is  to  crouch,  crawl,  etc.,  and  it  may  be  taken  as  an 
axiom  that  he  who  can  from  his  skill  and  experience  cast  a 
long  and  delicate  line  can  with  equal  ease,  and  even  greater 
accuracy,  cast  his  fly  over  any  intermediate  distance. 

It  is  sometimes  averred  that  the  ability  to  cast  a  long 
distance  is  useless,  because  of  the  greater  difiiculty  in  quickly 
striking  a  fish,  but  those  who  recommend  a  pause  between 
the  rise  and  the  strike  should  not  complain  on  this  account. 
There  are  rises  of  trout  which  can  only  be  covered  by  a 
long  cast,  and  for  this  reason  alone  the  ability  to  cast  a  long 
distance  should  be  practised.  That  a  strike  can  be  more 
quickly  made,  when  a  short  line  is  being  used,  goes  without 
question,  but  unless  a  fisherman  has  practised  long  casting 
he  will  be  unable  to  take  advantage  of  the  chance  offered 
when  trout  are  rising  at  a  greater  distance  from  him  than 
usual,  either  on  a  lake  or  river. 


180  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

Lightness  in  picking  the  line  off  the  water  when  making 
the  back  cast  is  one  of  the  important  factors  to  successful 
dry  fly  fishing,  for  more  fish  are  scared,  i.e.,  put  down,  by 
the  disturbance  caused  by  lifting  the  line  in  a  faulty  back 
cast,  than  by  a  faulty  forward  one.  It  is  therefore  most 
important  to  remember  that,  prior  to  the  back  cast  being 
made,  the  rod  top  should  be  lowered  to  the  water 
and  all  the  slack  line  gathered  in  by  the  left  hand,  and  that 
the  rod  should  then  be  raised  quietly  and  steadily  upward, 
but  with  a  slightly  accelerated  motion,  until  the  cast  and 
fly  are  about  to  leave  the  water,  when  the  final  flicking 
backward  motion  should  be  given  to  the  rod. 

Lightness  in  the  forward  cast,  as  before  mentioned,  is 
achieved  by  extending  the  line  and  cast  horizontally  before 
it  drops  on  to  the  water. 

The  Wind  Gast 

A  head  wind  was,  until  the  last  few  years,  regarded  as  one 
of  the  greatest  difficulties,  if  not  really  the  greatest,  against 
which  the  fly  fisherman  had  to  contend,  but  this  view  has 
now  practically  disappeared.  In  "  The  Science  of  Dry  Fly 
Fishing,"  1905,  I  say  : — 

**  If  the  wind  be  against  the  fisherman,  the  downward  action 
of  the  forward  overhead  cast  should  be  finished  still  lower." 

This  advice  is  sound,  and  cannot  be  improved,  remember- 
ing always  that  the  wrist  has  to  be  kept  rigid,  and  that  the 
force  applied  culminates  as  the  rod  is  checked  at  the 
conclusion  of  the  downward  effort. 

If  the  downward  action  of  the  rod  be  made  with  a  stiff 
wrist,  and  an  ever-increasing  force  until  it  is  checked  below 
its  normal  level,  the  line  and  fly  will  be  propelled  forward  at  a 
lower  level  than  usual,  and  the  line  will  in  consequence 
have  considerably  less  ongoing  curvature  (see  Diagrams  14 
and  15),  and  the  frictional  resistance  of  the  wind,  which  the 


DIFFERENT  METHODS  OF  CASTING 


181 


line  has  to  meet,  will  have  less  chance  of  affecting  the  forward 
extension  of  the  line  ere  the  fly  reaches  its  destination. 

The  fly  will  have  been  brought  to  a  point  just  above  its 
destination  on  the  water,  on  which  it  will  drop  with  less 
danger  of  its  being  blown  back,  than  there  would  be  if  its 
ongoing  motion  ceased  when  it  was  some  two  or  three  feet 
above  the  surface. 

In  other  words,  the  less  the  curvature  of  the  line  as  it 
unrolls  itself  forward,  the  less  will  it  be  checked  by  the 
frictional  resistance  of  the  air. 


HORIZONTAL 


Diagram  14 
H  R  T     Rod  checked  at  this  angle  in  downward  action  leads  to 
CL     Small  curvature  made  by  advancing  line. 

The  difference  in  the  advancing  curvature  of  the  line  in 
the  forward  cast  when  the  rod  is  checked  at  two  different 
points  in  its  downward  course,  is  shown  in  Diagrams  14  and 
15,  and  the  reader  will  at  once  appreciate  the  very  much 
smaller  surface  which  the  line  in  Diagram  14  presents  to  the 
wind  when  the  rod  action  is  finished  well  down. 


The  Wye  Cast 
We  must  now  consider  the  best  method  of  placing  the  fly 
in  any  spot  other  than  that  from  which  it  has  to  be  lifted. 


182 


FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 


When  casting  either  with  the  single-handed  or  with  the 
double-handed  rod,  in  the  overhead  cast,  unless  the  fly 
in  the  forward  cast  be  returned  to  some  place  in  the  same 
plane  from  which  it  is  taken,  it  can  only  be  cast  to  some 
place  in  some  new  plane,  and  obviously  this  plane  must  be 
either  to  the  right  or  left  hand  of  the  plane  it  has  just  left. 
Directly  this  fact  is  appreciated,  many  of  the  difficulties 
which  apparently  accompany  the  consideration  of  the  various 


HORIZONTAL 


Diagram  15. 
HT    Rod  checked  at  this  angle  in  downward  action  leads  to 
C  L   Large  curvature  made  by  advancing  line. 


casts  which  can  or  should  be  employed  must  vanish — for 
every  cast  made  with  a  fly  rod  must  be  some  variation  of 
the  principle  which  enables  the  fisherman  to  cast  backward 
and  forward  in  one  plane,  or  from  one  plane  into  some  other 
plane,  i.e.,  either  from  right  to  left,  or  left  to  right. 

I  introduced  in  the  first  edition  of  "  The  Science  of  Dry 
Fly  Fishing,"  1906,  a  cast  I  called  the  "  Wye  "  cast — in  the 
following  words  : — 


DIFFERENT  METHODS  OF  CASTING         183 

"  The  line  must  be  first  extended  as  much  as  possible 
directly  away  from  the  spot  at  which  the  fly  has  to  alight. 
To  do  this  a  curved  backward  side  motion  of  the  point  of 
the  rod  must  be  made  in  the  opposite  direction,  and  while 
this  is  being  made,  the  body  must  have  turned  so  as 
to  face  toward  the  spot  at  which  the  fly  has  to  alight  ; 
and  on  the  time  and  the  manner  of  this  combined 
movement  will  depend  the  success  of  the  cast  in  the  new 
direction." 

But  although  the  success  which  met  the  introduction  of 
the  Wye  cast,  and  which  attended  its  use  by  my  clients,  was 
great,  I  was  never  thoroughly  satisfied  as  to  the  scientific 
soundness  of  the  method  I  was  advocating. 

I  now  employ  a  new  adaptation  of  this  "  Wye  "  cast, 
which  after  most  careful  thought  and  trial,  I  consider  by 
far  the  best  method  of  casting  a  fly  out  of  one  plane  into 
another,  so  long  as  the  rod,  line  and  fly  can  be  brought  back 
in  the  new  plane  in  which  it  has  to  be  cast. 

The  alterations  of  the  movements  of  the  single-handed 
rod  when  fishing  up-stream  are  made  as  occasion  demands, 
from  right  to  left,  or  left  to  right  ;  but  when  fishing  down 
stream  so  long  as  the  fisherman  remains  on  one  bank  his 
cast  should  always  be  made  across  and  down-stream. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  in  both  styles  of  fishing  the  only 
variations  possible  are  from  right  to  left  and  from  left  to 
right. 

We  will  assume  that  the  reader  is  teaching  himself  to 
perfect  this  cast  over  grass,  and  that  therefore  he  can  make 
his  movements  more  deliberately  than  he  could  if  he  were 
casting  over  water.  The  different  positions  which  follow 
these  movements  can  be  checked  by  reference  to  the 
respective  figures  in  Plate  XXI .  When  he  has  learnt  to  make 
the  different  movements  correctly,  he  can  run  these  move- 
ments into  one  continuous  action,  and  I  should  therefore 


184  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

advise  him  in  the  first  place  to  do  nothing  other  than 
acquire  the  different  movements  one  by  one,  referring  to 
the  respective  figures  in  Plate  XXI. 

He  should  first  raise  his  rod  steadily  upward  in  the  plane 
into  which  it  has  been  pointing,  see  Plate  XXL,  Figure  1, 
until  it  is  inclined  upward  at  an  angle  of  about  sixty 
degrees  above  the  horizon.  He  should  then  turn  toward 
the  direction  in  which  he  has  to  cast,  leaving  his  arm 
and  his  rod  as  shown  in  Figure  3.  He  should  now 
swing  his  hand  and  rod  round  at  the  same  level,  keeping 
his  rod  pointed  at  the  same  angle  of  the  horizon — into  the 
plane  in  which  he  is  now  facing,  until  they  come  between 
his  eye  and  the  spot  at  which  he  desires  the  fly  to  alight, 
see  Plate  XXL,  Figure  4.  The  backward  and  forward  cast 
should  now  be  made  as  in  the  overhead  cast. 

The  hand  and  rod  move  in  an  S-shaped  switch,  when 
making  that  portion  of  the  Wye  cast  between  Figure  1 
and  the  finish  of  the  backward  action,  the  first  movement 
being  upward,  the  second  horizontal,  and  the  third  move- 
ment backward. 

When  the  separate  parts  of  this  cast  are  thoroughly 
learnt,  the  student  should,  as  stated  above,  make  them  in 
one  continuous  accelerating  motion. 

When  fishing  dry  fly  he  can  cast  as  follows  : — Before 
raising  his  rod  from  the  No.  1  position,  he  should  turn 
in  the  first  place  towards  the  spot  to  which  he  desires  to 
cast,  then  by  raising  the  rod  to  the  required  height  in  the 
old  plane  and  swinging  it  with  increasing  force  into  the  new 
plane,  he  merges  it  into  the  backward  part  of  the  overhead 
method  of  casting. 

Wet  Fly  Fishing  with  the  Wye  Cast, 

When  fishing  wet  fly,  after  finishing  out  a  cast,  the 
line    and    fly    will   be    extended    down-stream    under    his 


PLATE    XXI 


I.       SLIGHTLY    RAISING    THE    ROD. 


2.       THE   TOP    OF   THE    RISE. 


3.       FACING   INTO    THE    NEW    PLANE. 


4.     Tin:    ROD  AS  IT  SWINGS  INTO  THE  NEW  PLANE. 
THE    OVERHEAD    CAST    IS    NOW    MADE    AS    BEFORE. 


The  Wye  Cast  with  the  Trout  Rod. 


DIFFERENT  METHODS  OF  CASTING  185 

own  bank,  and  having  decided  to  make  the  Wye  cast 
across-stream,  the  fisherman  glances  backward  to  a 
point  immediately  opposite  to  where  he  wishes  his  fly 
to  alight. 

If  there  be  no  danger  in  this  new  plane,  he  should  lower  the 
point  of  his  rod  to  the  water  and  gather  in  by  the  hand  as 
much  of  his  line  as  he  deems  necessary — keeping  the  point 
of  his  rod  well  down  when  doing  so.  He  then  faces  across 
stream  toward  the  spot  on  which  his  fly  has  to  alight,  and, 
after  he  has  turned,  steadily  lifts  the  point  of  the  rod 
upwards  in  the  plane  in  which  it  has  been  pointing,  and 
then  sideways  with  a  gradually  accelerated  pace  into  the 
plane  in  which  he  now  wishes  to  cast.  If  the  movement 
is  properly  made  the  rod  point  will  be  elevated  from  sixty 
to  seventy-five  degrees  above  the  water,  and  be  between  his 
eye  and  the  direction  in  which  he  has  to  cast.  By  this  time 
the  cast  is  about  leaving  the  water,  the  fisherman  gives 
the  final  flicking  impetus  of  this  back  cast  away  from  the 
spot  at  which  the  fly  has  to  alight,  and  finishes  the  cast 
forward  and  downward  as  before. 

The  student  will  notice  that  the  methods  of  making  the 
Wye  cast  when  fishing  up-stream  or  down-stream  are 
identical,  and  are  the  same  with  the  single-handed  or  the 
double-handed  rod. 

It  will  be  seen  by  this  method  that  the  cast  can  be 
made  from  any  spot  either  to  the  right  or  left  hand  with 
either  hand  uppermost,  when  fishing  from  either  the  right 
or  left  bank  of  the  river.  Other  advantages  of  this  variation 
of  the  Wye  cast  are  as  follows — A  greater  degree  of  accuracy 
is  obtained  and  the  line,  if  the  backward  cast  is  properly 
made,  clears  the  dangers  on  the  fisherman's  banks,  for  it  is 
brought  out  from  the  bank  and  towards  the  stream  by  this 
first  movement  of  the  back  cast,  instead  of  being  pulled 
around  and  over  these  dangers,  etc. 


186  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

The  Steeple  and  Galway  Casts 
The  Steeple  cast,  which  is  sometimes  used  to  send  the 
line  in  the  backward  cast  clear  of  bushes,  trees,  and  other 
dangers  behind  the  fisherman,  is  somewhat  similar  to  the 
overhead  cast.  In  the  backward  movement  the  effort  is 
upward  rather  than  backward,  the  force  being  applied  in  the 
upward  part  of  the  back  cast.  The  rod  is  swung  upward, 
instead  of  being  lifted,  and  the  arm  is  extended  to  its  full 
length  above,  and  slightly  behind,  the  vertical  line  of  the 
body.  The  right  shoulder,  the  side,  the  hip,  the  leg  and  the 
foot,  can  also  swing  round  with  the  arm  as  the  stroke  is 
made,  the  weight  of  the  body  at  the  end  of  the  back  stroke 
being  supported  on  the  flat  of  the  right  foot  and  the  fore 
part  of  the  left  foot.  Before  casting  forward,  and  while  the 
line  is  still  travelling  upward  and  backward,  the  elbow 
should  be  dropped,  the  right  foot  brought  forward,  and 
the  line  returned  in  the  vertical  plane  as  in  the  overhead 
cast. 

A  much  safer,  more  effective,  and  prettier  cast,  however, 
which  I  have  introduced  in  order  to  surmount  or  avoid 
dangers  which  may  lie  in  the  direction  which  the  backward 
cast  is  required  to  take,  and  which  entirely  supersedes  the 
Steeple  cast,  is  a  variation  of  the  Galway  cast  described 
later  under  Salmon  Fly  Casting,  in  chapter  XVII.  and 
illustrated  in  Plates  XXII.  and  XXIII. 

The  Galway  cast  with  the  trout  rod  should  be  made  as 
follows  : — in  the  backward  cast,  as  the  line  is  steadily  raised 
from  the  water,  the  body  turns  on  the  ankles  to  the 
right  or  left  hand,  until  it  faces  the  direction  in  which  the 
fly  has  to  go,  and  at  the  same  time  the  hand  holding  the 
rod  is  turned  or  twisted  round  to  the  left  or  to  the  right 
respectively  until  the  thumb  is  on  that  side  of  the  rod  from 
which  the  line  is  being  drawn,  and  the  reel  towards  the 
direction  to  which  the  back  cast  has  to  be  made.     By  the 


PLATE    XXII 


The  Back  Movement  of  the  Galway  Cast  with  the  Trout  Rod  made 
OVER  the  Head  of  the  Photographer. 

PLATE    XXIII. 


.fMM^^^ 


The  Galway  Cast  made  over  the  Top  of  an  Imaginary  Small  Tree. 


DIFFERENT  METHODS  OF  CASTING  187 

time  this  movement  of  the  body  has  been  made,  the  rod 
should  have  risen  to  an  angle  of  seventy-five  degrees 
above  the  water.  The  backward  cast  has  now  to  be 
made,  and  it  has  become  a  forward  cast  in  the  backward 
direction,  and  is  one  in  which  the  direction  of  the  line  can 
be  accurately  gauged  so  as  to  avoid  the  danger  of  its  being 
hung  up,  the  idea  being  to  send  the  line  either  upward  and 
over  the  danger  or  to  clear  it  to  one  or  other  side,  and 
therefore  the  effort  made  to  that  end  naturally  affects  the 
direction  and  the  angle  in  which  the  rod  is  brought  down. 
Immediately  the  back  cast  is  made,  the  body  again  turns  to 
its  original  position  in  order  to  cast  the  fly  forward  to  its 
destination,  the  twisting  movement  of  the  hand  is  reversed, 
and,  if  the  turning  movement  be  not  delayed,  by  the  time 
the  line  has  extended  itself  the  rod  and  the  body  will  be  in 
the  position  shown  in  Plate  XVII.,  and  the  forward  cast  can 
then  be  made  in  the  ordinary  way. 

Two  Plates  are  given  showing  the  Galway  cast  being  made 
over  the  left  shoulder,  Plate  XXII.,  to  clear  the  photographer 
and  Plate  XXIII.  to  clear  an  imaginary  tree  situated  in  a 
similar  position.  The  backward  action  has  been  made,  and 
the  line  is  shown  more  or  less  extending  itself  to  clear  the 
above-mentioned  dangers.  The  Galway  cast  with  the 
double-handled  rod  is  also  illustrated.  See  Plates  XLIII. 
and  XLIV.). 

The  Side  Cast 

The  right  or  left  side  cast  is  made  with  a  precisely  similar 
rod  action  to  the  overhead  cast,  and  both  left  and  right  hand 
side  casts  can  be  made  with  either  hand.  The  rod  is  brought 
back  more  or  less  horizontally  to  the  right  or  left  side  of  the 
body  and  returned  in  the  same  plane,  the  object  being  to 
prevent  the  line  rising  to  any  height  in  the  air,  and  is  useful 
when  casting  to  or  from  under  trees,  under  culverts,  or  up 
narrow,  over-grown  streams. 


188  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

In  making  the  right  hand  side  cast  the  body  should  turn 
on  the  ankles  toward  the  right,  and  the  rod  should  be  brought 
back  as  in  the  overhead  cast,  but  sideways  and  with  the 
palm  of  the  hand  up,  the  rod  being  stopped  in  its  backward 
action  by  the  thumb.  The  elbow  acts  as  a  pivot  to  the  rod, 
which  is  switched  backwards  through  a  more  or  less  hori- 
zontal arc  of  115  degrees.  The  turn  of  the  body  has  to 
precede  the  backward  action  of  the  rod,  so  that  the  eye 
can  judge  the  exact  moment  at  which  the  thumb  has  to 
check  the  rod  as  the  latter  reaches  the  limit  of  the 
above  angle. 

It  is  only  by  a  continued  and  ever  increasing  backward 
force  applied  to  the  rod  through  the  hand  and  wrist  from 
the  forearm  that  the  best  and  most  perfect  impetus  can  be 
communicated  to  the  line  in  order  to  extend  it  in  the  back- 
ward direction.  The  best  result  of  this  force  cannot  be 
communicated  from  the  forearm  to  the  rod  unless  a  rigid 
control  over  the  wrist  be  maintained  during  the  time  the 
fly  is  in  the  air. 

The  position  of  the  arm  and  rod  at  the  conclusion  of  the 
back  cast  is  as  follows  :  The  upper  arm  points  downward, 
but  is  free  from  the  body — ^the  forearm  and  hand  with  a 
rigid  wrist  is  extended  palm  up,  in  a  line  with  the  rod,  which 
is  held  rigidly  at  an  angle  of  115  degrees  to  the  right  or  left 
of  the  direction  in  which  the  fly  has  to  alight. 

As  the  rod  is  checked  at  this  angle  by  the  thumb,  the  body 
should  again  turn  forward,  the  eyes  being  directed  towards 
the  spot  to  which  the  fly  has  to  be  cast — the  forearm  and 
rod  must  remain  pointing  backward  until  this  turn  is 
completed — ^by  which  time  the  line  will  have  extended 
itself  backward. 

The  forward  stroke  should  then  be  made  through  the  thumb 
from  the  elbow  with  a  similar  muscular  effort  to  that  used  in 
the  backward  cast,  but  in  a  forward  horizontal  direction. 


DIFFERENT  METHODS  OF  CASTING  189 

To  get  a  clearer  idea  of  the  angles  made  by  the  rod  in  the 
backward  and  forward  motions  of  the  side  cast,  the  reader 
should  take  Diagrams  8  and  9  as  being  the  horizontal 
instead  of  the  vertical  angles  through  which  the  rod  passes. 

As  accuracy  can  be  obtained  by  the  fisherman  when  using 
the  side  cast,  this  cast  is  in  my  opinion  the  best  and  most 
effective  one  ;  its  advantages  over  the  overhead  cast  are 
as  follows  : — The  rod  is  certainly  less  noticeable  from  the 
fish's  point  of  view — and  it  can,  in  the  side  cast,  be  used 
under  almost  any  circumstances.  It  is  the  easiest  method 
of  getting  the  fly  under  bushes,  or  when  casting  from  under 
trees,  shrubs,  etc.,  and  it  certainly  causes  the  fly  to  alight  on 
the  water  with  its  wings  more  perfectly  cocked  than  in  the 
overhead  manner. 

The  advantage  that  the  overhead  cast  has  over  the  side 
cast,  is  that  it  gives  absolute  accuracy  and  permits  the 
fisherman  to  raise  his  line  from  the  water  more  easily  and 
with  greater  delicacy,  and  it  is  not  quite  so  fatiguing. 

In  the  side  cast,  in  order  to  make  the  backward  cast 
with  a  fairly  long  line,  the  rod  has  to  be  first  lifted  as  much 
as  possible,  so  as  to  bring  the  line  well  to  the  surface  of  the 
water  and  then  brought  down  to  the  level  in  which  the 
side  cast  has  to  be  made.  It  has  then  to  be  continued 
into  the  backward  cast,  the  rod  being  checked  as  before 
stated.  This  backward  movement  has  to  be  made  in  a 
slightly  inclining  upward  plane. 

The  Loop  Cast  for  the  Single  or  Double  Handed  Rod 

The  Loop  cast  of  the  double  or  single-handed  rod  is  made 
when  danger  exists  both  behind  and  to  either  side  of  the 
fisherman,  and  is  sometimes  useful  when  there  is  a  strong 
wind  blowing  against  the  back  cast,  and  when,  as  a  conse- 
quence of  these  dangers  or  difficulties,  the  line  cannot  be 
sent  backward  or  to  either  side. 


190  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

The  rod  is  steadily  raised  upward  and  backward  to  an 
angle  of  about  twenty- two  degrees  behind  the  vertical 
position  of  the  fisherman,  but  inclining  slightly  to  his  right 
or  left  hand  side.  The  line  by  this  movement  will  be 
drawn  back  along  the  water,  and  a  slight  backward  curve, 
as  in  Plate  XLV.,  will  be  made  to  the  right  or  left  hand  side, 
but  well  clear  of  the  angler's  shoulder.  As  the  rod  arrives 
at  this  position  its  movement  is  altered  into  an  upward, 
forward  and  downward  switch.  The  line,  which  has  been 
drawn  after  the  top  of  the  rod  in  this  continuous 
movement,  will  be  held  at  the  finish  of  the  downward 
switch  by  the  rod  point,  and  will  curl  over  it  and  thus 
extend  itself  over  the  water  in  the  direction  in  which  the 
downward  switch  is  made. 

In  this  Plate  the  fly,  which  has  been  raised  from  the 
water,  is  being  returned  to  the  same  spot  from  which  it  was 
taken,  but  in  Plates  XXIV.,  XLVI.  and  XLVII.  the  line 
and  fly  have  been  raised  from  a  position  to  the  right  or  left 
hand  of  the  fisherman,  and  are  being  returned — as  shown 
in  these  Plates — in  a  new  plane  to  a  new  spot.  This  move- 
ment is  effected  by  first  raising  the  rod  as  described  above 
to  a  position  about  twenty-two  degrees  behind  the  shoulder, 
and  as  the  motion  of  the  rod  is  being  continued  the  body 
and  feet  are  turned  towards  the  spot  at  which  the  fly  has  to 
alight,  and  the  forward  and  downward  action  of  the  rod  is 
completed  as  before,  but  is  now  made  in  the  new  plane, 
as  shown  on  the  plates  above  mentioned. 

Like  most  of  the  curved  casts  it  is  extremely  simple,  and 
any  difficulty  there  may  be  lies  in  the  fact  that  the  beginner 
will  be  nearly  certain  to  make  two  distinct  actions — a 
backward  and  a  forward  one — as  in  his  straight  overhead 
casts,  forgetting  that  both  of  these  are  merged  into  a  con- 
tinuous motion.  The  backward  movement  of  the  rod  should 
be  neither  a  jerk  nor  a  switch,  but  a  very  steady  pulling 


DIFFERENT  METHODS  OF  CASTING  191 

action  which  is  continued  in  an  upward  and  forward,  and 
then  converted  into  an  ever  increasing  downward  impulse, 
which  is  checked  as  the  hand  reaches  the  horizontal. 

The  Loop  Cast  for  the  Trout  Rod 

Plates  XXIV.  and  XXV.  show  the  end  of  the  loop  cast 
with  the  single-handed  rod,  the  danger  being  immediately 
behind  the  fisherman.  The  line  has  just  left  the  water  and 
the  disturbance  it  has  made  on  the  surface  is  clearly  shown 
to  the  immediate  right  of  the  fisherman  in  the  latter  plate. 

In  this  plate  the  rod  point  has  been  raised  in  the  ordinary 
way  by  a  steady  upward  action,  but  instead  of  its  being 
switched  backward  from  the  water,  the  drawing  action  of 
the  hand  is  continued  backward  slightly  to  the  right  hand 
side  of  the  fisherman,  until  the  rod  attains  its  usual  angle  of 
twenty-two  degrees  behind  the  vertical,  and  is  slightly 
inclined  to  the  right  of  the  body.  This  backward  move- 
ment of  the  hand  is  now  converted  into  a  slightly  upward 
action  by  lifting  the  arm,  and  the  cast  terminates  in  the 
usual  forward  and  downward  switch  of  the  rod.  The  wrist 
has  been  kept  rigid,  the  line  has  curled  forward  after  the  rod 
point,  and  the  disturbance  to  the  right  of  the  fisherman 
shows  where  it  has  just  left  the  surface.  Briefly,  then, 
the  action  of  the  hand  controlling  the  rod  has  been  first 
upward  and  then  backward,  and  then  continued  in  an 
upward  and  forward  circling  action  into  the  forward  and 
downward  switch.     See  Plate  XXIV. 

The  Switch  Cast 

This  cast,  which  is  a  side  loop,  bears  the  same  relationship 
to  the  loop  cast  that  the  side  cast  does  to  the  overhead 
cast. 

It  is  made  when  the  rod  can  neither  be  brought  back 
vertically,  or  the  line  extended  backward  in  the  plane  in 


192  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

which  it  has  already  been  extended  forward,  and  in  which 
plane  it  has  to  be  returned. 

The  slack  of  the  line  is  first  gathered  in  as  the  rod  is 
lowered  to  the  water,  and  the  rod  point  is  then  steadily 
raised  in  order  to  get  the  line  well  on  the  surface  of  the  water 
It  is  then  brought  back  horizontally  by  a  steady  side  move- 
ment, through  a  horizontal  angle  of  about  110  degrees.  This 
movement  is  then  converted  into  a  steady  upward  circular 
movement  until  the  rod  top  is  as  high  as  the  overhanging 
obstacles  will  allow,  and  it  is  then  brought  forward  in  an 
accelerating  side  cast  towards  its  destination.  The  height 
at  which  the  forward  action  of  the  rod  can  be  made  is 
determined  by  the  overhanging  danger — the  tree,  the  arch 
of  the  bridge,  or  culvert,  etc.,  etc. 

The  first  portion  of  this  cast  is  obviously  very  simple  ; 
the  line  and  fly  are  not  flicked  off  the  water,  but  follow  back 
along  the  surface  as  the  rod  moves  backward. 

The  latter  portion  of  the  cast,  however,  owing  to  its 
more  limited  scope  of  action,  requires  more  practice  than 
the  loop  cast,  before  the  correct  forward  loop  of  the  line 
is  created  by  the  forward  movement  of  the  point  of 
the  rod. 

The  wrist  must  be  kept  stiff,  although  the  hand,  as  in 
the  side  cast,  has  to  be  twisted  palm  up,  so  that  the  thumb 
precedes  the  rod  as  it  is  brought  back  sideways,  and  as  the 
circular  and  forward  switching  movement  begins  the  thumb 
is  thus  able  to  force  the  rod  forward. 

The  Spey  Cast  or  Throw 

The  Spey  cast  is  a  variation  of  the  Loop  and  Switch,  and 
has  to  be  made  when  it  is  desired  to  cast  the  line  and  fly  out 
of  one  plane  into  another,  that  is,  to  cast  the  fly  from  right 
to  left  when  the  rod  has  to  be  used  on  the  left  side  of  the 
body,  and  from  left  to  right  when  the  rod  has  to  be  used 


DIFFERENT  METHODS  OF  CASTING  193 

on  the  right  side  of  the  body.  The  most  common  use 
which  this  cast  is  put  to  is  in  making  a  new  cast  when 
fishing  down-stream.  After  a  cast  has  been  fished  out,  the 
line  of  the  fisherman  will  have  been  worked  round  more  or 
less  under  his  own  bank,  and  a  fresh  cast  has  now  to  be 
made  in  order  to  extend  the  fly  more  or  less  across  the  pool 
or  portion  of  the  river  which  has  to  be  fished. 

The  easiest  and  most  useful  cast  for  this  purpose  is  the 
Wye  cast,  as  described  on  page  181.  As  directed,  the 
fisherman  looks  backward  and  away  from  the  new  position 
in  which  he  wishes  his  fly  to  fall,  and  if  everything  is  clear 
for  extending  the  line  in  the  new  plan^,  he  should  make  the 
Wye  cast,  but  if  any  dangers  exist  in  this  plane,  he  may  then 
adopt  some  variation  of  the  Spey  cast.  When  making  the 
Spey  throw  there  must  be  a  more  less  extension  of  the  line 
in  a  curve  up-stream,  and  just  how  much  curve  can  be 
made  in  this  extension  will  depend  on  the  proximity  of  the 
dangers  in  the  background. 

Taking  the  danger  as  being  close  to  and  parallel  with  the 
bank  on  which  the  fisherman  stands  (see  Plate  XXVI.),  it  is 
obvious,  first,  that  any  great  extension  of  the  line  behind 
him  is  impossible,  and  secondly,  that  the  complete  extension 
of  the  line  up-stream  will  place  his  line  in  a  position  almost 
as  difficult  to  cast  from  as  that  in  which  it  now  lies — that 
is,  if  a  cast  has  to  be  made  more  or  less  across-stream  (see 
Plate  XXVI.). 

But  by  now  adopting  a  combination  of  the  Loop  and  Switch 
casts,  called  the  "  Spey  Throw,"  he  is  able  by  an  up-stream 
motion  to  get,  first,  a  certain  extension  only  of  his  line 
up-stream,  leaving  the  balance  of  the  line  well  on  the  top  of 
the  water  down-stream,  or  secondly,  to  lift  his  line  from  the 
water  by  a  modified  up-stream  side  cast,  and  deposit  it  on 
the  water  just  above  and  clear  of  the  plane  in  which  his 
line  has  to  travel  across-stream. 

14 


194  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

Before  making  the  up-stream  action  it  is  better  to  turn 
toward  the  direction  in  which  the  fly  has  to  travel.  The 
up-stream  curve  can  then  be  made,  and  the  rod  movement 
continued  in  an  upward  and  backward  swing  into  the  new 
plane ;  and  the  Spey  throw  is  completed  by  merging  this 
into  the  forward  and  downward  switch.     See  Plate  XXVI. 

He  will  thus  give  the  up-stream  belly  of  his  line  enough 
impetus  in  the  right  direction  to  cause  it  to  drag  the  rest 
of  the  line  off  the  water  in  a  loop  and  to  bring  his  fly  across 
stream  in  the  new  and  desired  direction. 

The  curve  of  his  line  by  which  he  has  effected  this  cast  has 
never  been  extended  sufficiently  behind  him  to  foul  the 
dangers  of  the  bank,  and  that  portion  of  the  line  on  the  water 
never  gets  into  danger,  as  it  only  leaves  the  surface  as  it  is 
dragged  forward  by  the  impetus  of  the  looping  action  of  the 
rod  and  upper  part  of  the  line.  The  danger  in  the  first 
method  of  making  the  up-stream  action  of  the  Spey  cast 
is  that  the  rod,  in  its  downward  action,  may  foul  the  line 
as  it  is  being  lifted  up  from  the  water  in  its  forward  motion. 

In  the  Spey  cast  (Plate  XXVI.),  the  danger  is  again  close 
to  and  behind  the  fisherman.  The  line,  which  has  been 
extended  down  stream,  has  to  be  propelled  at  an  angle  of 
about  sixty  degrees  across  the  water.  As  stated  above,  the 
fisherman  must  first  turn  with  his  back  to  the  danger,  and 
face  the  direction  in  which  he  wishes  to  cast.  He  should 
then  draw  his  line  up-stream  sideways  to  his  right,  and  by 
then  raising  his  rod  point  upwards,  and  backwards  in  a 
circling  action,  convert  this  into  the  forward  and  downward 
action  of  the  rod.* 

By  switching  down  with  the  correct  action,  the  line,  at  the 
conclusion  of  the  downward  action  of  the  hand — urged 
forward  by  the  gradually  increasing  force  of  the  downward 

♦The  Plates  and  Diagrams  under  the  head  of  the  Salmon  Rod  will  illustrate 
these  casts  when  made  by  the  trout  rod. 


PLATE    XXV. 


The  End  of  the  Loop  Cast  with  the  Trout  Rod. 

NOTICE   THE    DISTURBANCE    OF   THE    WATER    AS    THE    LINE    UNROLLS    FORWARD. 


PLATE    XXVI, 


The  End  of  Spey  Throw  with  the  Trout  Rod. 

NOTICE   THE    DISTURBANCE   TO   THE    LEFT    AS   THE    LINE    LEAVES   THE    WATER. 


DIFFERENT  METHODS  OF  CASTING  195 

switch  and  the  after-straightening  of  the  rod  itself — shoots 
forward  in  the  desired  direction,  and  gradually  unrolling 
on  itself,  finally  brings  the  fly  to  the  required  spot. 

The  end  of  the  line,  in  the  Loop,  the  Switch  and  the 
Spey  casts,  is  held  by  the  water,  and  thus  prevented  from 
fouling  the  danger  behind  the  fisherman,  the  downward 
movement  of  the  rod  being  followed  by  the  unrolling  action 
of  the  line  as  it  leaves  the  water  and  is  propelled  forward. 

In  Plate  XXVI.  the  disturbance  caused  by  the  end  of 
the  line  leaving  the  water  is  shown  in  the  left  foreground 
of  the  picture.  The  difficulty  of  this  cast  consists  in  avoiding 
the  fouling  of  the  line  by  the  rod  in  its  downward  action. 
With  an  ordinary  length  of  the  line  it  means  either  making 
the  action  of  the  rod  more  or  less  of  a  switching  character, 
and  making  the  downward  cut  of  the  rod  with  a  slanting 
down-stream  action,  instead  of  a  directly  vertical  downward 
action  in  the  desired  plane,  or  by  drawing  or  lifting  the  line 
and  letting  it  fall  sufficiently  backward,  i.e.,  clear — to  the 
right  of  the  fisherman,  the  downward  forward  action  of  the 
rod  not  being  made  directly  over  the  line  cannot,  there- 
fore, foul  it  (see  Plate  XLIX.,  Salmon). 

The  former  is  the  easier  and  the  more  scientific  method — 
the  latter  by  far  the  most  difficult  to  acquire.  If  both  are 
done  well,  there  is  but  little  to  choose  in  the  ultimate 
results  of  either  method. 

The  various  attempts  to  explain  how  this  useful  cast  is 
made,  appear  to  me  to  be  varied  only  by  the  individual 
methods  of  each  fisherman,  who  has  had  to  work  out  his 
own  method  of  making  his  **  Spey  throw." 

The  Loop  Cast  instead  of  the  Spey  Throw 

When  wading  and  when  danger  is  close  behind,  the 
Spey  cast  as  just  described  can  be  very  conveniently  dis- 
carded for  the  Loop  cast  (see  p.  329).      The  Loop  cast   has 


196  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

this  advantage,  that  it  can  be  made  without  any  danger  of 
fouling  the  line.     (See  Plates  XLVI.  and  XLVII). 

If  one  desires  to  make  the  cast  toward  the  right  hand, 
the  rod  can  be  brought  back  to  the  left  hand  side  of  the  body, 
the  fisherman  turning  towards  the  right  and  making  his 
downward  switch  to  the  right — clear  of  the  line  in  the 
water — and  towards  the  spot  where  he  desires  his  fly  to 
fall  (see  Plate  XLVII.). 

If  it  be  desired  to  make  the  fresh  cast  to  the  left,  he  will 
bring  his  rod  back  to  the  right  as  in  the  Loop  cast,  turning 
to  the  left  and  making  his  new  cast  also  away  from 
his  line  which  lies  on  the  water.  In  this  method 
therefore  no  danger  is  encountered  of  fouling  the  line 
(See  Plate  XLVL). 

The  fisherman  who  stands  on  a  bank  cannot  as  a  rule 
bring  his  line  back  on  his  down-stream  side — or  it  would 
probably  foul  the  bank — and  consequently  he  frequently 
finds  it  difficult  to  make  the  loop  across-stream.  If  he  tries 
to  make  the  loop  across-stream  by  bringing  his  rod  back  on 
his  up-stream  side,  he  must  bring  his  rod  down  directly 
across  his  line,  with  a  greater  danger  of  a  foul,  and  hence  the 
necessity  for  making  the  Spey  throw. 

If  the  wind  is  blowing  from  behind  and  hindering  the 
backward  extension  of  the  line,  the  Loop  or  the  Switch  cast 
can  be  used  with  excellent  effect. 

Shooting  the  Line     Force  used  in  Casting 

The  muscular  effort  required  in  lifting  the  line  from  the 
water  and  casting  a  trout  or  salmon  fly  depends  on  the  length 
of  the  line  which  has  to  be  extended,  but  the  power  used 
while  learning  is  generally  greatly  in  excess  of  that  which 
is  required.  Beginners  should  remember  that  it  is  the 
method,  or  manner,  of  applying  this  force,  more  than  its 
amount,  which  is  important.     It  is  vim,  and  not  violence. 


DIFFERENT  METHODS  OF  CASTING  197 

which  should  be  used.  But  as  the  exact  force  which  is 
required  in  an  absolutely  perfect  method  of  extending  each 
cast  is  only  attained  after  much  experience,  a  slight  excess 
of  the  actual  force  needed  to  extend  the  line  is  advisable. 
When  making  the  forward  cast  this  excess  must  be  only 
sufficient  to  enable  the  line  to  extend  itself  horizontally,  and 
to  give  it,  in  its  forward  progress,  enough  impetus  to 
draw  through  the  rings  of  the  rod  some,  if  not  all,  of  the 
slack  line  which  has  been  recovered  prior  to  the  back  cast, 
and  which  is  being  held  by  the  hand  of  the  fisherman.  The 
method  of  thus  extending  the  length  of  each  cast  is  called 
"  shooting  "  the  line. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  downward  effort  the  rod  has  still 
to  straighten  itself,  and  until  it  has  done  so  the  forward  pull 
on  the  line  continues  to  be  accelerated,  and  the  line  must 
not  be  liberated  in  *'  shooting  "  until  the  rod  has  imparted 
this  latent  energy  to  the  line.  Unless  the  line  be  allowed  to 
shoot,  at  the  conclusion  of  the  downward  effort,  the  limit  of 
its  extension  will  probably  be  reached  before  its  forward 
impetus  has  been  exhausted,  and  the  accuracy  of  the  cast 
will  suffer  because  the  fly — as  the  line  straightens  itself — 
will  be  jerked  more  or  less  backward  towards  the  fisherman, 
and  will  fall  either  on  the  line,  or  in  some  manner  calculated 
to  frighten  the  fish. 

"  Shooting  the  line  "  should  be  the  method  used  when  the 
line  is  being  lengthened,  prior  to  the  final  cast,  the  line  being 
drawn  off  the  reel  by  the  left  hand,  and  held  until  the  con- 
clusion of  each  downward  action  of  the  forearm,  when  as  the 
rod  straightens,  it  is  liberated  and  allowed  to  "  shoot." 

The  Drag,  also  the  Sag 

To  avoid  these  faults  constitutes  one  of  the  greatest 
difficulties  in  fishing.  The  drag,  though  it  may  be  some- 
times due  to  a  fault  on  the  part  of  the  fisherman,  is  generally 


198  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

due  to  circumstances  over  which  he  appears  to  have  little 
or  no  control. 

The  drag  is  a  bugbear  to  both  the  single-handed  and  the 
double-handed  fisherman,  whether  he  be  casting  a  wet  or  a 
dry  trout  fly,  a  salmon  fly,  or  spinning.  The  fault  is  always 
due  to  the  fact  thai  some  part  of  the  line  between  the  rod-top 
and  the  lure  travels  faster  than  the  lure  itself,  and  conse- 
quently either  drags  the  dry  fly  along  the  water,  or  produces 
a  sag  in  the  line,  during  the  down-stream  methods  of  casting, 
which  very  naturally  prevents  the  realization  of  the  fact 
that  a  fish  is  investigating  the  sunken  lure. 

The  first  kind  of  drag,  and  one  which  is  most  common  and 
the  least  recognized  by  the  fisherman  himself,  is  that  which 
occurs  immediately  his  dry  fly  falls  on  the  water,  and  this 
particular  fault  is  due  to  the  fact  that  the  line  is  not  dead 
when  it  falls,  but  has  a  distinct  motion  of  its  own  sometimes 
toward  and  sometimes  away  from  the  fisherman,  which 
affects  the  fly  after  it  has  fallen,  dragging  it  with  an  un- 
natural motion  along  the  surface.  The  fault — save  when 
a  strong  wind  affects  the  line  and  gives  it  motion — is  that 
if  the  cast  has  been  correctly  made,  the  shooting  of  the  line 
has  not  been  properly  effected,  and  the  line  in  such  a  cast 
has  been  allowed  to  extend  itself  with  a  jerk  and  recoil  back 
towards  the  fisherman.  A  second  kind  of  drag  will  occur  even 
if  the  casting  and  the  shooting  have  been  properly  carried 
out,  if  the  rod  be  not  lowered  to  the  water  in  exact 
sympathy  with  the  falling  line. 

In  this  case  if  the  fisherman  is  supposed  to  be  casting 
from  the  bank  some  foiu:  feet  above  the  water  level,  and  if 
the  rod  has  been  checked  in  its  downward  course  at  the 
usual  angle,  the  line,  by  the  time  it  is  extended,  would  be 
at  a  height  of  about  six  feet  above  the  water.  Owing  to 
the  fact  that  it  has  been  correctly  released,  it  has  exhausted 
all  its  surplus  energy  in  dragging  out  the  spare  line,  has 


DIFFERENT  METHODS  OF  CASTING  199 

become  quite  dead,  and  is  falling  to  the  water.  If  the  rod 
is  not  lowered  and  extended  a  little  forward,  the  rod  point 
will  become  the  centre  of  a  circle  of  which  the  line  is  the 
radius,  and  the  line  at  its  heaviest  end  being  held  at  this 
point,  cannot  fall  vertically,  but  is  drawn  backward  in  a 
curve  towards  the  fisherman,  and  by  this  backward  curving 
action  it  draws  the  fly  after  it,  and  produces  the  drag. 

This  error  grows  greater  the  higher  the  fisherman  be 
situated  above  the  water  ;  when  casting  from  a  high  bridge, 
for  instance,  it  is  almost  impossible  to  avoid  this  sort  of  drag. 

A  common  form  of  drag  can  also  occur  even  when  the 
line  has  correctly  fallen  on  the  water. 

If  a  fish  be  rising  in  an  eddy  on  the  far  side  of  the  stream, 
and  the  fly  be  thrown  directly  across  the  rapid  water  into 
the  still  water — the  middle  portion  of  the  line  will  alight  on 
the  more  rapid  part  of  the  current  and  will  travel  down 
stream  faster  than  the  cast  and  fly  ;  this  will  most  certainly 
create  the  drag. 

Avoiding  the  Drag 

Under  such  circumstances,  to  place  a  dry  fly  which  will 
remain  on  the  water  sufficiently  long  to  give  the  fish  an 
opportunity  of  rising,  is,  perhaps  one  of  the  most  difficult 
casts  which  have  to  be  made. 

If  the  following  variation  of  the  side  cast  be  made  up- 
stream, the  immediate  drag  can  be  avoided. 

The  reader  may  remember  that  in  my  instructions  in  the 
downward  action  of  the  rod,  I  say  that  the  rod  should  be 
brought  forward  with  accelerating  force  ;  starting  the  move- 
ment gently  and  without  a  jerk,  etc.  A  jerky  start  may  not 
only  fail  to  extend  the  line,  but  will  certainly  bring  the  belly 
of  the  line  downward  towards  or  on  the  water  before  the 
line  has  extended  itself. 

Starting  either  motion  of  the  rod  in  casting  with  a  sudden 


200  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

jerking  impulse  is  a  very  common  fault,  and  it  was  while 
studying  this  fault  and  its  result  in  casting  that  I  discovered 
the  most  certain  method  of  throwing  a  fly  so  as  to  avoid  the 
drag  caused  by  a  rapid  stream  running  between  the  fisherman 
and  the  position  of  a  rising  trout. 

When  a  trout  is  seen  rising  in  a  position  that  must  insure 
a  drag  if  the  overhead  cast  be  adopted,  a  more  or  less  side 
cast  should  be  made  up-stream  (see  Side  cast).  If  the 
forward  side  cast  be  started  gently  and  with  an  accelerating 
forward  action,  and  a  jerky  forward  impulse  given  to  the 
rod  after  it  starts,  and  the  rest  of  the  forward  action  be 
continued  as  before,  this  snatchy  action  will  cause  the  line 
to  belly  up-stream,  just  as  the  same  snatchy  action  will  cause 
the  line  to  belly  down  toward  the  water  in  the  overhead  cast. 

This  up-stream  curve  in  the  line  as  it  falls  on  the  water 
should  not  affect  the  direction  of  the  fly,  but  it  will  permit 
it  to  fall  correctly  and  remain  undisturbed  on  the  water 
until  the  more  rapid  run  of  the  stream  has  swept  the  curved 
portion  of  the  line  from  its  up-stream  side  to  a  similar  curve 
down-stream — by  which  time,  the  trout  should  have  risen, 
if  it  means  to  take  the  fly. 

This  method  of  avoiding  such  a  drag  on  the  dry  fly  will 
also  assist  the  fisherman  when  he  has  to  encounter  a  similar 
evil  when  fishing  down-stream,  which  occasions  what  is 
known  as  a  sagging  line,  i.e.,  the  belly  of  the  line  moving 
faster  down-stream  than  the  fly  end  of  the  line. 

It  will  be  seen  that  by  adopting  this  method  of  casting,  the 
line  can  always  be  thrown  in  a  curve  on  the  water.  This  curva- 
ture of  the  line  on  the  water  is  at  times  useful  when  the  fisher- 
man is  immediately  below  his  fish,  for  a  straight  line  which 
brings  a  dry  fly  immediately  above  a  fish  may  disturb  the 
water,  whereas  if  the  fly  be  thrown  immediately  above  the  fish, 
as  it  should  be,  with  such  a  curving  action  of  the  line,  there 
will  be  considerable  less  danger  of  the  fish  being  scared. 


CHAPTER  XI 

MENTAL  CONTROL  OF  THE  MUSCLES  WHEN  LEARNING 

TO  CAST 

The  Forefinger — ^The  Influence  of  the  thumb  in  the  forward  cast — 
Mental  effort — Conscious  effort — New  muscular  movement — 
Misplaced  attention — ^The  meaning  of  a  stiff  wrist — Misapplied 
energy — Attention — A  quotation — Captain  Marryat — ^The  im- 
portance of  the  muscles  of  the  forearm. 

The  Forefinger 
The  necessary  muscular  energy  affecting  the  upward, 
backward  and  downward  movement  of  the  Trout  Rod  should 
be  effected  by  the  muscles  of  the  arm,  and  communicated 
through  a  rigid  wrist  to  the  hand  holding  the  rod,  the 
influences  of  the  hand  being  predominated  by  the  '*  atten- 
tion "  given  to  the  grip  of  the  rod  by  the  forefinger  and 
thumb.  Just  as  in  a  musical  chord  one  note  should  be 
dominant,  so  in  the  hand  grasp  on  the  rod  the  dominant 
influence  should  be  that  of  the  forefinger  in  the  back  cast 
and  the  thumb  in  the  forward  cast. 

When  the  backward  cast  has  to  be  made,  and  when  the 
line  is  extended  in  the  act  of  fishing,  the  rod  is  first  lowered 
towards  the  water,  and  the  slack  line  gathered  in  by  the 
left  hand.  The  rod  is  then  lifted  by  a  steady  and  rapidly 
increasing  upward  effort  of  the  forefinger.  As  this  upward 
movement  continues,  the  frictional  resistance  of  the  water 
on  the  line  begins  to  diminish,  and  the  lifting  force  of  the 
forefinger  gradually  resolves  itself  into  a  backward  action, 
increased  to  its  conclusion  by  a  quickening  backward  effort, 
the  rod  being  abruptly  checked,  when  it  reaches  an  angle 

201 


202  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

of  twenty-two  degrees  behind  the  vertical,  by  the  thumb, 
which,  with  the  forearm,  is  now  pointing  vertically  upward. 

The  Influence  of  the  Thumb  in  the   Forward  Cast 

The  rod  should  be  dominated  by  the  thumb  from  now  to 
the  conclusion  of  the  forward  cast  (see  Plate  XVII).  After 
a  pause  to  allow  the  line  to  extend  itself  backward,  the  forward 
and  downward  action  of  the  rod  should  be  commenced  by 
a  steadily  increasing  forward  and  downward  curving  pressure 
of  the  point  of  the  thumb. 

The  pressure  or  push  forward  of  the  thumb  produces  a 
forward  bend  in  the  rod,  which  acquires  an  answering 
forward  and  do wnward  velocity,  until  it  is  stopped  dead  at  an 
angle  of  twenty-two  degrees  above  the  horizon  ;  the  action 
of  the  hand  in  checking  it  here  should  be  again  dominated 
by  the  forefinger. 

Now,  however  light  may  be  the  pressure  on  the  rod  of 
either  the  finger  or  the  thumb  in  these  duties,  yet  an 
absolutely  controlled  rigidity  of  the  wrist  will  follow,  and  it 
cannot  displace  the  elbow  as  a  pivotal  hinge. 

Mental  Effort 

If  "  attention  "*  be  given  to  the  respective  pressures  of 
the  rod  by  the  forefinger  and  the  thumb,  the  elastic  con- 
tinuity of  the  rod  and  forearm  is  maintained  and  the  pivotal 
action  of  the  elbow  is  enforced. 

Fortunately  the  mental  effort  of  using  the  forefinger  and 
thumb,  which  is  necessary  to  effect  the  correct  hold  of  the 
rod,  has,  in  other  actions,  become  such  an  habitual  process 
in  our  daily  life  that  we  can  apply  it  when  casting  a  fly. 

We   have  only  to  think  of  one  of  the  many  thumb    or 

*  By  "  attention,"  as  I  have  explained  elsewhere,  I  do  not  mean  attention 
to  a  thought  or  action  which  is  habitual,  but  attention  to  mental  effort 
which  is  original,  such  as  that  which  is  required  to  keep  the  thumb  at  a 
constant  angle  to  the  forearm  during  the  effort  of  casting. 


MENTAL  CONTROL  OF  THE  MUSCLES        203 

forefinger  actions  we  make,  in  order  to  find  that  the  turning 
of  the  hand,  the  wrist  and  the  forearm  into  one  controlled 
lever  is  at  once  subconsciously  effected.  The  conscious 
holding  of  the  pencil  between  the  forefinger  and  thumb — 
nay,  the  conscious  holding  of  a  blade  of  grass  by  them — 
will  keep  the  wrist  under  rigid  control  so  long  as  attention  to 
this  action  is  maintained. 

Conscious  Effort 

I  use  the  word  "  consciously  "  with  a  definite  and  precise 
meaning,  and  I  do  not  mean  "  consciously  "  thinking  of 
writing,  but  "  consciously"  thinking  of  how  to  do  it  while 
doing  it — the  writing.  We  have  made  the  muscular  control 
of  the  pencil  into  a  habit,  and  we  can  now,  therefore,  make 
other  muscular  movements  at  the  same  time,  but  no  two 
original  muscular  movements  can  each  be  successfully 
thought  out  and  successfully  carried  into  effect  at  the  same 
moment  of  time.  When  writing,  etc.,  as  when  using  the 
rod,  a  secondary  and  considered  action  of  the  wrist  is  not 
required* — attention  must  not  be  devoted  to  the  wrist, 
but  to  the  thumb  and  forefinger. 

The  habit  of  writing  has  been  acquired  during  the  long 
forgotten,  but  nevertheless  wearying  hours  of  attention 
during  our  youth.  The  mental  habit  of  thinking  in  the  finger 
and  the  thumb  alternately  is  not  taught  to  children  ;  they 
have  to  acquire  it,  and  the  complicated  muscular  movements 
which  have  grown  into  the  harmoniously  continued  action 
called  writing,  are,  as  a  rule,  the  result  of  an  acquired  knack. 
Try  to  write  with  the  left  hand  for  the  first  time,  and  you  will 
begin  to  appreciate  the  mental  processes  which  are  involved 
in  that  which  has  become  one  of  the  most  common  of  our 
habitual  activities  of  the  right  hand. 

*  Although  such  a  wrist  action  can  be  easily  made,  when  writing  or  casting 
has  become  a  habit,  by  a  secondary  mentally  controlled  effort. 


204  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

New  Muscular  Movement 

In  order  quickly  and  correctly  to  perform  any  new 
muscular  movement,  the  effort  should  be  controlled  by 
a  carefully  directed  mental  effort,  and  it  will  be  found 
as  the  muscles  continue  to  answer  to  a  repetition  of  the 
mental  effort,  that  gradually  a  correct  habit  is  formed,  and 
the  student,  however  right  or  left  handed  he  may  be,  by 
thus  making  such  a  habit  with  one  hand,  has  acquired  the 
ability  to  use  his  other  hand  with  equal  success  in  the 
accomplishment  of  this  action. 

It  is  thus  that  having  taught  my  clients  how  to  cast  the 
fly  successfully  with  one  hand,  they  find  to  their  intense 
surprise  that  they  have  also  acquired  the  ability  to  use  the 
other  hand  in  a  similar  cast  and  with  a  success  equal  in  a 
relative  degree  of  course  to  the  muscular  development  of 
each  set  of  muscles  of  the  forearm. 

It  is  the  want  of  analytical  thought  on  the  part  of  the 
instructor  which  prevents  his  readily  imparting  the  mental 
methods  by  which  he  sub-consciously,  or  through  habit 
alone,  accomplishes  his  master  actions.  He  may  have  a 
set  of  rules  by  which  he  instructs,  but  he  rarely  enforces  on 
his  pupils  the  necessity  of  making  those  mental  efforts  and 
thought  processes  by  which  alone  each  new  muscular  move- 
ment should  be  controlled.  Such  an  one  may  say — "  You 
should  do  this,"  or  that — in  this  way,  or  that  way,  etc.,  but 
he  rarely  tells  his  pupil  to  think  out  one  by  one  each  of  the 
muscular  movements  before  making  them,  and  then  to  do 
each  one  correctly  and  with  forethought,  before  trying  to 
combine  them  into  one  effort. 

The  Grasp  on  the  Rod 
The    hand    holding    the    single-handed    rod    should    be 
actuated   by  the   principal   muscles   of   the   forearm,  but 
without   a  rigidly  controlled  wrist   these   muscles   cannot 


MENTAL  CONTROL  OF  THE  MUSCLES        205 

communicate    the    full    amount    of  their  energy  to   the 
hand. 

In  everything  we  do,  with  the  thumb  or  forefinger  or 
with  both,  at  the  moment  of  doing  it  we  subconsciously 
also  control  the  wrist.  But  writers  on  the  subject  of  fly- 
casting  have  insisted  on  wrist  action — a  "  delicate  wrist 
action"  being,  according  to  them,  the  necessary  adjunct  to 
casting  with  a  single-handed  rod.  By  thus  directing  the 
attention  of  the  learner  to  the  wrist,  and  not  to  the  forearm 
and  thumb,  they  have  not  assisted  those  who  have  depended 
on  their  advice,  and  have  actually  sinned  against  the  methods 
they  themselves  employ  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten  when  they 
are  successfully  casting  a  fly.  So  far  as  this  advice  is 
concerned,  the  mistake  is  generally  due  to  a  faulty  analysis 
of  the  habits  on  which  they  depend.  The  movement  of  the 
wrist,  if  made  at  all,  is  purely  a  secondary  and  unnecessary 
action  depending  on  a  separate  and  mentally  controlled 
muscular  activity,  and  if  the  wrist  is  used  as  a  hinge,  it  is 
moved  as  the  result  of  thought  applied  with  this  definite 
object  in  view. 

Misplaced  Attention 

The  author,  when  teaching  a  lady  to  cast  a  trout  fly, 
endeavoured  to  get  her  to  raise  her  hand  upward  and 
toward  her  face  without  bending  her  wrist  (a  stiff  wrist 
being  necessary  for  the  successful  accomplishment  of  the 
cast).  When  casting  she  had  been  always  accustomed  to 
bend  her  wrist,  and  when  endeavouring  to  follow  the  author's 
instructions,  she  was  absolutely  unable  to  raise  her  hand 
from  the  horizontal  position  to  her  face.  The  action  should 
have  been  performed  from  the  elbow,  but,  taking  her  mind 
from  her  wrist,  she  concentrated  it  on  her  shoulder,  and  thus 
failed.  The  author  then  said  :  '*  Oh,  never  mind — if  you 
cannot  do  it,  we  will  find  some  other  way  to  make  you  do 


206  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

so  ;  but,  before  proceeding,  may  I  draw  your  attention  to 
the  fact  that  you  have  a  smut  on  your  nose  ?  "  Whereupon 
the  lady's  hand  immediately  went  up  to  her  nose,  much  to 
her  astonishment.  She  made  this  .quite  natural  action 
subconsciously  ;  her  thoughts  being  taken  off  her  shoulder 
subconscious  activity  instantly  lifted  the  arm  from  the 
elbow  in  its  usual  way.  In  endeavouring  to  keep  her  wrist 
stiff,  she  had  unconsciously  included  the  muscles  of  the  arm 
as  being  inhibited,  and  endeavoured  to  raise  her  hand  with 
the  wrong  muscles — the  muscles  of  the  shoulder. 

The  Meaning  of  a  Stiff  Wrist 

To  tell  the  student  therefore  that  a  cast  depends  on  a 
*'  delicate  wrist  action  "  is  to  focus  his  attention  on  his  wrist 
and  land  him  in  a  mental  muddle.  The  thought  should  for 
choice  be  focussed  in  the  ball  of  the  thumb  or  forefinger. 

If  we  hit  at,  or  even  reach  out  andfirmly  touch,  a  definite 
object  in  front  of  the  body,  the  hand  has  become  an  inflexible 
socket,  stiffening  the  wrist  in  every  direction,  and  permitting 
the  muscles  of  the  forearm  to  supply  the  force  necessary  to, 
and  controlling  the  blow,  or  the  action  of  touching. 

I  hope  my  reader  will  not  confuse  my  meaning.  The 
wrist,  before  and  leading  up  to  the  hit  by  the  stick,  the 
racket,  the  golf  club,  the  cricket  bat,  the  touch  by  the  bow 
of  the  violin,  etc.,  may,  if  so  desired,  be  bent  at  will,  yet  at 
the  moment  the  attention  is  consciously  applied  to  striking 
the  object,  playing  the  chord,  etc.,  the  wrist  will  be  so 
controlled  that  unless  it  be  desired,  it  will  not  be  bent. 
Now  in  the  case  of  the  fishing  rod,  this  control  is  absolutely 
necessary  all  the  time  the  rod  is  being  used  for  the  purpose 
of  casting,  if  it  be  desired  to  project  the  fly  most  accurately 
and  effectively,  because,  there  is  a  wide  difference  between 
the  action  of  striking  an  object  with  a  stick,  hitting  a  tennis 
ball,  etc.,  and  casting  a  trout  fly. 


MENTAL  CONTROL  OF  THE  MUSCLES       207 

In  the  one  the  object — the  blow — is  achieved  at  a  special 
fraction  of  time,  and  the  velocity  of  the  weapon  increases 
to  this  climax  in  order  to  effectually  impart  its  force  to  the 
object  struck,  and  so  long  as  this  force  is  correctly  imparted 
it  matters  not  what  individual  flourishes  or  evolutions  have 
preceded  the  impact  ;  but  the  reverse  is  the  case  with  a  rod 
and  line — the  line  is  always  attached  to  the  rod  and  for  so 
long  as  this  is  so  all  movements  of  the  rod  must  affect  it. 

This  fact  may  be  illustrated,  for  instance,  by  the  difference 
in  the  action  between  a  fishing  rod  and  a  woomera,  or  throwing 
stick  of  the  aboriginals  of  North  Queensland  ;  for  while  the 
spear,  so  long  as  it  rests  in  the  woomera,  requires  a  definite 
and  continued  impulse  until  it  is  discharged,  yet  the  spear's 
onward  course  is  thereafter  disassociated  with  the  woomera, 
which  can  be  dropped  to  the  earth  without  affecting  the 
flight  of  the  spear.  Not  so  the  line,  which  is  not  disassociated 
with  the  fishing  rod  after  the  casting  effort  is  made — its 
forward  course  being  very  seriously  affected  by  every  after 
movement  of  the  rod,  i.e.,  until  the  fly  reaches  the  water  and 
the  line  comes  to  rest,  until  which  time  a  rigid  control  of 
the  rod  has  to  be  maintained. 

The  line  to  which  the  fly  is  attached  cannot  be  thrown, 
and  it  has  been  the  mistake  of  the  past  to  try  and  throw  it. 
It  is,  or  should  be,  by  a  continuous  motion  of  the  rod, 
unrolled. 

Misapplied  Energy 

I  notice  that  in  a  recent  book  on  the  art  of  fly-fishing, 
the  author  emphasizes  the  necessity  of  "  keeping  the  hand 
tightly  grasping  the  rod,"  but  at  the  same  time  condemns 
the  use  of  what  he  terms  a  *'  stiff  wrist."  This  serves  to  show 
the  extreme  confusion  of  thought  which  characterizes  those 
who,  though  they  may  be  able  to  extend  a  fly  to  their  own 
satisfaction,  are  yet  unable  to  appreciate  the  muscular  control 


208  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

of  the  wrist  which  must  follow  if  they  consciously  apply 
themselves  to  this  advice. 

It  is,  besides  this  point,  quite  unnecessary  to  advise  the 
beginner  to  grasp  the  handle  of  his  rod  as  tightly  as  possible, 
if  he  wishes  to  cast  a  fly  with  accuracy  and  delicacy.  The 
rod  should  be  no  more  tightly  grasped  than  is  the  pen  with 
which  a  person  writes.  The  hand  should  act  as  the  socket 
joints,  which  make  one  vibrant  whole  of  a  two  or  three 
piece  rod,  and  a  moment's  reflection  will  prove  that  beyond 
these  sockets  forming  a  close  fitting  union  between  the 
different  parts  of  a  rod,  the  female  portion  of  the  sockets 
do  not  exercise  the  slightest  grasping  pressure  on  the  joint 
they  enclose. 

The  reason  that  people  offer  this  advice  is  because  they 
confuse  the  principles  governing  the  control  of  the  rod,  and 
possibly  because  they  have  been,  or  are,  learning  to  alter  the 
faulty  dependence  on  a  separate  wrist  control  of  the  rod  into 
a  forearm  and  hand  control,  and  think  that  it  is  only  by 
an  excess  of  mental  concentration  on  the  grasp  of  the 
rod  that  they  can  conquer  the  older  and  faulty  habit  of 
bending  the  wrist.  But  none  the  less,  the  beginner 
should  have  no  misconceptions  on  this  important  subject. 

In  the  second  edition  of  a  former  work  (1907),  page  8,  I 
say  :  "  If  the  thumb  be  pressed  firmly  against  the  rod,  the 
wrist  cannot  be  bent,  and  the  rod  cannot  go  back  beyond  this 
angle,"  again  I  say,  on  page  219,  "  this  grasp  will  of  necessity 
produce  a  rigid  wrist,  and  should  therefore  assist  the  sudden 
check  which  is  so  important,"  but  it  will  be  seen  that  this 
advice  was  given  to  my  readers  with  the  object  of  making 
them  keep  the  wrist  rigid. 

Attention 

Prior  to  1907  I  had  not  discovered  that  all  that  it  was 
necessary  to  do  in  order  to  keep  the  wrist  under  control  was 


MENTAL  CONTROL  OF  THE  MUSCLES        209 

to  confine  the  attention  to  the  definite  object  of  doing  some- 
thing with  the  forefinger  or  thumb,  and  that  therefore  if 
attention  were  concentrated  on  the  pressure  by  the  ball  of 
the  thumb,  wrist  action  would  be  avoided.  I  knew  then, 
however,  that  the  mental  activity — which  a  consciously 
enforced  grasp  of  the  rod  entails — would  prevent  the  wrist 
action  from  occurring,  and  hence  my  advice,  the  value  of 
which — but  not  the  actual  result  which  attends  it — is 
recognised  by  the  author  of  the  book  previously  mentioned. 

It  is  not,  however,  necessary  to  force  the  mind  to  make 
any  increase  in  effort,  in  order  to  attain  that  controlled 
rigidity  of  the  wrist,  which  is  necessary  when  effecting 
ninety-nine  out  of  every  hundred  of  the  daily  actions  made 
by  the  hand.  This  author  is,  however,  by  this  advice, 
unwittingly  helping  his  readers,  for  he  is  preventing  or 
neutralizing  the  faulty  consequences  of  the  other  advice  he 
offers,  the  necessity  of  a  pivotal  wrist  action;  for  if 
"  attention  "  be  maintained  in  order  to  grasp  the  rod  by  the 
finger  and  thumb,  however  light  may  be  the  grasp,  this 
enforces  a  constant  angle  between  the  forearm  and  the  rod, 
and  prevents  a  wrist  action,  and  by  so  doing  allows  the  most 
important  muscles  of  the  forearm  to  control  the  movement 
of  the  rod,  a  consummation  devoutly  to  be  desired,  but  which 
is  defeated  if  a  pivotal  action  of  the  wrist  be  effected. 

The  beginner  should  remember  that  the  muscles  he  should 
employ  in  the  different  movements  required  in  casting  are 
those  which  he  has  through  habit  been  using  from  his  infancy 
in  a  variety  of  other  and  distinct  actions,  and  although  the 
object  he  has  in  view  when  using  them  may  be  a  new  one, 
yet  concentration  of  thought  will  soon  link  them  into  a 
well-ordered  sequence. 

The  movements  made  by  the  hand  in  casting  are  three — 
the  raise,  the  back  action  and  the  forward  action — ^but  each 
of  these  movements  has  in  other  of  our  every-day  actions 

16 


210  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

already  become  a  separate  habit ;  the  difficulty  then  is 
having  to  make  a  sequence  of  these  three  into  the  one 
habit  of  casting. 

Should  any  cramped  or  stiff  feeling  be  experienced  in  the 
fingers  or  muscles  of  the  arm,  etc.,  when  practising,  it  will, 
if  the  mental  process  be  a  correct  one,  be  due  to  an  over- 
application  of  force  by  those  muscles  in  grasping  the  rod. 
A  child  will  over-exert  the  muscles  of  his  thumb  and  fingers 
by  grasping  too  tightly  the  pen  or  pencil  when  learning  to 
write,  and  thus  experience  the  same  sort  of  cramp  in  his 
forefingers  or  thumb. 

It  is  because  of  that  most  erroneous  of  all  instructions, 
viz.,  that  which  draws  the  attention  of  the  beginner  to  the 
wrist,  when  he  is  told  to  "  carry  out  a  delicate  wrist  action  " 
— that  work  is  required  from  a  system  of  muscles  intended, 
developed  and  trained  for  the  one  purpose  of  preventing  the 
wrist  being  thus  turned  into  a  pivot,  and  consequently  the 
fatigue  and  stiffness  of  the  muscles  so  frequently  mentioned 
are  experienced. 

Attention  should  be  concentrated  on  keeping  the  fore- 
finger and  the  thumb  to  their  respective  work  on  the  handle 
of  the  rod,  until  such  concentration  becomes  unnecessary 
owing  to  the  fact  that  **  attention  "  has  been  replaced  by  a 
subconscious  habitual  action. 

A  Quotation 

Mr.  Halford,  in  his  latest  book,  continues  to  advocate  a 
pivotal  wrist  action  in  the  backward  and  forward  cast,  and 
he  says  :  **  I  venture  to  suggest  the  best  of  performers  do 
practically  all  the  work  with  the  wrist,"  and  later  on  he 
says  :  "  Some  few  fishermen  cast  with  an  almost  stiff  wrist, 
and  use  the  forearm  as  the  motive  power.  It  is  not  a  pretty 
style,  but  there  are  undoubtedly  many  first-rate  fishermen 
who  invariably  adopt  this  method." 


MENTAL  CONTROL  OF  THE  MUSCLES       211 

I  trust  that  I  am  not  unduly  optimistic  in  believing  that 
I  am  generally  considered  as  being  the  pioneer  of  the  stiff 
wrist  theory  ;  certainly  I  have  always  recommended  the 
forearm  muscles  as  the  power  to  be  employed  in  all  and 
every  sort  of  single-handed  casting  with  a  fly  rod. 

Captain  Marryat 

Captain  Marryat — ^than  whom  no  better  fisherman  ever 
lived — not  only  used  the  thumb  as  the  agent  for  controlling 
the  inflexibility  of  the  wrist  and  permitting  the  muscles  of 
the  forearm  to  do  the  work,  but  used  his  forefinger  to  assist 
the  thumb  in  doing  so.  I  believe  this  was  due  to  the  fact 
that  the  rods  used  in  those  days  were  not  so  light  or  so  well 
actioned  as  those  of  the  present  day,  and  I  have  heard  that 
those  used  by  Captain  Marryat  were  by  no  means  the 
lightest  even  of  those  then  built.  Consequently  the  aid 
of  the  forefinger  to  assist  the  thumb  in  its  duty  of  controlling 
the  inflexibility  of  the  wrist,  is  understandable,  and  was 
apparently  used  by  Captain  Marryat  in  order  that  the 
muscles  of  the  forearm  should  effectively  convey  the  force 
necessary  in  delivering  his  fly. 

Many  men  are  strong  enough  to  get  out  a  fairly  lengthy 
line,  and  very  often  an  accurate  one,  when  obviously 
bringing  into  play  a  good  deal  of  pivotal  wrist  action,  but  a 
closer  analysis  of  their  casting  will  show  that  even  this  is 
only  a  limited  wrist  action  which  occurs  at  a  portion  of  the 
cast  least  vital  to  its  ultimate  success  ;  this  pivotal  action, 
however  is  more  or  less  corrected  by  its  being  converted  into 
a  forearm  action  at  the  most  critical  and  important  portion 
of  the  cast,  i.e.,  as  the  downward  action  of  the  rod  is  checked 
— and  this  by  the  rigidity  of  the  wrist  at  that  moment. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  backward  and  forward  effort  it 
may  be  found  by  those  who  make  the  wrist  one  of  the  pivots 
of  the  rod  action,  that  their  casting  is  improved  by  what  they 


212  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

term  a  wrist  action,  and  by  which  wrist  action  many  of  my 
clients  have  told  me  that  they  think  they  give  a  final  flick 
to  the  rod.  If,  however,  they  very  closely  consider  this 
action,  they  will  find  out  that  this  flick  is  in  reality  produced 
by  a  deliberately  executed  thumb  and  finger  action  which 
stiffens  the  wrist  and  permits  the  muscles  of  the  forearm  to 
communicate  in  the  final  effort  this  impulse  to  the  fishing  rod. 
In  other  words  they  permit  the  muscles  of  the  forearm  to  do 
the  work  for  which  they  were  intended,  and,  late  as  this 
control  is  on  the  rod,  it  yet  materially  improves  their 
casting. 

The  Importance  of  the  Muscles  of  the  Forearm 

It  is  on  the  muscles  of  the  forearm  and  the  use  of  the 
elbow  as  pivot  that  the  fisherman  must  rely,  and  if  anyone 
doubt  this,  let  his  forearm  be  held  rigidly  by  a  friend  in  any 
position,  and  let  him  see  of  how  little  use  his  hand  and  wrist 
action  are  when  making  his  backward  and  forward  cast, 
when  deprived  of  the  use  of  the  forearm  muscles.  If,  on  the 
other  hand,  he  will  fasten  the  butt  end  of  his  rod  to  his 
forearm  above  the  wrist,  by  a  handkerchief,  and  then  use  the 
forearm  and  its  muscles  to  cast  with,  the  elbow  being  the 
pivot  on  which  the  movement  is  made,  he  will  appreciate 
the  fact  that  this  produces  a  controlled  wrist  action  and 
enables  him  to  cast  with  the  greatest  ease  and  accuracy. 

When  a  habit  is  acquired  of  thus  using  the  forearm  in  the 
manner  I  advise,  this  independent  pivotal  wrist  action — 
— which  has  been  so  persistently  recommended,  and  which 
has  proved  a  bugbear  to  so  many  learners — will  be  found 
to  be  absolutely  unnecessary  and  prejudicial  to  the  best 
method  of  casting  a  fly,  and  he  will  then,  as  an  after 
result,  find  that  any  secondary  wrist  action  cannot  without 
definite  "  attention,"  and  without  definite  determination, 
be   made.     If,   however,    such  a  wrist  action  be  definitely 


MENTAL  CONTROL  OF  THE  MUSCLES        213 

enforced  by  the  brain,  it  will  be  found  that  the  splendid 
energy  of  the  muscles  of  the  forearm  are  replaced  by  the 
energy  of  the  less  effective  ones  which  control  the  action 
of  the  wrist,  and  both  the  accuracy  and  limit  of  the  cast 
will  be  affected. 

All  the  clients  I  have  coached  in  Trout  Fly  Casting  have 
been  taught  to  use  the  single-handed  rod  with  the  muscles 
of  the  forearm  as  the  power,  the  wrist  being  the  inflexible 
connection  between  the  hand  and  the  forearm,  and  with  the 
elbow  as  a  pivot  ;  and  if  the  delight  expressed  in  hundreds 
of  unsolicited  testimonials  can  be  accepted  as  evidence,  or 
success  in  tournament  casting  can  be  regarded  as  an  index 
of  the  correct  method  of  using  the  muscles  in  the  act  of 
casting,  then  I  think  it  must  be  evident  that  my  method  of 
casting  is  the  correct  one. 

With  regard  to  the  attention  which  is  so  necessary  in 
order  to  acquire  perfection,  it  is  well  to  remember  the  words 
of  Shakespeare  : 

"  There  is  nothing  either  good  or  bad  but  thinking  makes 
it  so." — Hamlet,  Act  II.,  Scene  2. 


CHAPTER    XII 

THE    ACTION    AND    QUALITIES    OF    A    PERFECT 
TROUT    ROD 

Baden-Powell  and  testing  rods — A  mechanical  test — ^The  hand  test — 
A  correct  method  of  testing — ^The  action — ^The  consideration  of 
a  stiff  and  of  a  whippy  action  in  a  fly  rod — ^The  perfect  rod — ^The 
treatment  of  a  fly  rod — ^Tournament  rods — Points  to  remember 
when  selecting  a  rod — ^The  virtues  or  otherwise  of  a  dry  fly  rod. 

It  will  be  generally  admitted  that  as  regards  the  construction 
of  the  weapons  and  appliances  used  in  the  various  fields  of 
sport,  none  can  excel,  and  very  few  equal,  in  science  and 
delicacy  of  their  make,  the  modern  split  cane  fly  rod,  the 
tapered  line  and  casts,  the  reels,  artificial  flies,  etc.,  etc., 
which  are  now  used  in  fly  fishing. 

It  is  necessary,  however,  to  consider  most  carefully,  not 
only  the  qualities  which  constitute  a  perfect  fly  rod,  but  the 
difficulties  which  beset  the  judicious  selection  of  one. 

Baden  Powell  and  Testing   Rods 

A  method  of  testing  some  of  the  qualities  of  a  fly  rod 
was  introduced  and  advocated  some  years  ago  by,  I  think, 
Mr.  W.  Baden-Powell,  K.C.  These  theories  were  exhaus- 
tively examined  and  discussed  in  the  sporting  press,  etc. 
The  originator  of  this  method  of  testing  a  rod  suggested 
that  the  butt  end  of  the  rod  should  be  securely  fixed  in  some 
mechanical  holder,  the  rod  being  inclined  to  the  horizontal 
at  various  angles,  and  that  a  definitely  considered  weight 
should  be  suspended  from  its  top  ring,  the  idea  being  that 
the  curvature  of  the  rod,  the  exact  distance  extended 
horizontally  by  this  plummet  on  a  base  line,  and  its  rate  of 

214 


ACTION  OF  A  PERFECT  TROUT  ROD         216 

vibrations  should  be  compared  with  the  curvature,  vibra- 
tions, etc.,  of  some  rod,  whose  length,  weight,  curvature 
and  vibratory  action  was  standardized,  this  test  affording 
some  indication  of  the  relative  qualities  of  the  rod  tested. 

I  think  that  the  strength  and  the  vibration  of  the  finished 
rod  can  be  thus  standardized,  and  that  the  method  of  a 
base  line  as  suggested  by  Mr.  Baden-Powell,  in  conjunction 
with  a  consideration  of  the  curves  made  by  the  rod  when 
subjected  to  pressure,  is  effective,  simple,  and  ingenious. 

It  will  be  recognized,  however,  that  such  a  test  could  afford 
no  indication  of  that  most  important  quality,  the  *'  action  " 
of  the  rod  on  the  holder  in  which  it  was  fixed,  and  therefore 
the  information  derived  from  such  a  method  would  be  of 
little  use  to  a  fisherman  when  selecting  a  rod,  for  his  hand 
would  have  to  take  the  place  of  a  holder  used  in  such 
a  test. 

By  the  action  of  a  rod  is  hardly  meant  its  amount  of 
whippiness,  its  balance,  its  rate  of  vibrations,  its  power,  etc., 
but  rather  a  something  which  affects  the  hand,  wrist,  and 
forearm  of  the  holder,  and  which  is  the  direct  result  of  these 
combined  qualities. 

A  Mechanical  Test 

When  handling  a  rod  we  speak  of  its  having  a  delightful, 
or  the  reverse,  action,  and  we  judge  of  this  by  its  influence 
on  the  hand  which  holds  it.  The  term  "  action  "  therefore 
is,  or  at  least  should  be,  used  as  a  separate  term  to  be  applied 
to  the  feel  of  the  rod,  which  is  a  result  of  the  combined 
influences  of  its  other  qualities. 

Now  the  mechanical  test  introduced  by  Mr.  W.  Baden- 
Powell,  gives  no  clue  to  this  influence,  i.e.,  the  action  of  the 
rod  on  the  vice  or  holder  in  which  it  is  fixed.  The  rod  then 
which  produces  the  least  hit  or  jar  on  whatever  may  be  the 
holder  in  which  it  is  placed,  is  that  rod  which  will  be  the 


216  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

most  pleasant  to  use,  and,  provided  its  other  qualities  be 
equally  good,  will  permit  of  the  greatest  accuracy  and 
delicacy  in  casting. 

A  test  made  in  any  such  mechanical  manner,  cannot  be 
of  any  service  in  answering  the  question  as  to  what  effect 
the  action  of  a  rod  has  on  the  wrist  and  arm  of  the  fisherman. 
It  is  the  senses  of  the  fisherman  alone  which  must  be  his 
guide  as  to  this  action,  and  if  he  be  inexperienced,  and  the 
particular  sense  required  to  test  the  action  of  the  rod  on  his 
wrist  has  not  been  educated,  he  will,  if  he  makes  his  selection 
in  a  shop,  most  likely  err  in  the  choice  of  a  rod. 

The  Hand  Test 

If  we  take  the  top  end  of  a  three  piece  rod,  and,  holding 
it  inflexibly  in  one  hand,  we  try  its  action  by  striking  or 
switching  it  backward  and  forward,  we  shall  most  likely 
say  what  a  beautiful,  quick  action,  etc.,  it  has.  If  we  then 
take  the  middle  joint  of  the  same  rod,  and  do  likewise,  we 
shall  say  that  its  action  is  awkward  and  stiff,  and  if  we  take 
the  butt  end  we  shall  still  more  emphatically  condemn  its 
action,  etc.  Now,  fixing  the  two  upper  joints  together 
we  shall  find  that  the  stiff  action  of  the  middle  joint  has  to 
some  extent  been  modified,  and  when  we  fix  the  three  joints 
together  we  may  perchance  say — What  a  perfect  action  ! 
But  it  must  be  at  once  evident  that  as  the  forearm  con- 
stitutes another  joint,  the  rod  is,  when  thus  tested,  a 
four-joint  rod,  and  its  perfection  really  depends  upon  the 
relationship  of  the  upper  three  pieces  to  the  fourth  piece — 
the  forearm. 

A  rod,  when  tested  in  a  mechanical  holder,  may  have  a 
rate  and  degree  of  vibrations  approaching  that  of  the  most 
perfect  rod,  and  yet  when  tested  by  those  members  which 
have  to  control  and  actuate  it,  viz.,  the  hand,  the  wrist,  and 
the  forearm,  may  be  intolerably  severe  on  the  wrist. 


ACTION  OF  A  PERFECT  TROUT  ROD        217 

A  Correct  Method  of  Testing 
It  is  evident  then  that  a  test  should  be  made  by  the  hand, 
but  equally  also  that  it  must  be  made  in  some  well-considered 
and  definite  manner.  Obviously  a  very  varied  effect  will 
be  produced  on  the  senses  by  the  same  rod  if  the  wrist  be 
used,  in  one  case,  as  a  well  controlled  extension  of  the 
forearm,  and  in  the  other  simply  as  a  more  or  less  controlled 
hinge  between  the  forearm  and  the  hand.  If  a  more  or  less 
rigid  and  weighty  stick  be  used  as  in  the  backward  or  for- 
ward motion  of  the  fishing  rod,  its  backward  action  being 
checked — as  that  of  the  rod  should  be — by  the  thumb,  at  a 
point  about  twenty-two  degrees  behind  the  vertical,  and 
again  checked  as  it  should  be  at  the  end  of  its  downward 
stroke,  a  certain  hit  or  strain  will  be  felt  on  the  wrist  as  the 
momentum  of  the  rod  is  stopped.  The  amount  of  the  hit 
or  strain  will  be  an  index  as  to  how  much  the  elasticity  of 
the  stick,  or  butt  end  of  the  rod  fails  to  blend  its  vibrating 
elasticity  with  that  of  the  arm,  wrist  and  hand.  If  the 
same  stick  or  bar  be  brought  backward  and  forward,  and 
the  wrist  be  permitted  to  yield  to  the  momentum  of  the 
stick,  this  hit  or  strain  will  not  be  so  immediately 
appreciated,  but  nevertheless  the  strain  of  this  hit,  though 
it  does  not  at  once  become  apparent — as  it  does  when  it  is 
checked  with  a  stiff  wrist  under  the  control  of  the  thumb — 
will  yet  affect  the  muscles  which  control  the  wrist  and 
which  will  be  called  into  play,  and  the  greater  the  hit 
or  jar,  the  greater  will  be  the  strain  and  also  the  fatigue  as 
the  day  lengthens. 

The  Action 

By  far  the  most  important  factor  which  contributes  to  the 

perfection  or  the  non-perfection  of  a  trout  rod  is  that  which 

centres  round  this  word — Action.     Provided  it  is  made  of 

the  best  cane,  and  that  its  centre  of  balance  is  only  a  few 


218  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

inches  beyond  the  end  of  the  thumb,  when  the  rod  is  being 
held  horizontally  with  the  reel  on,  and  the  line  in  position, 
and  that  the  rod  is  properly  tapered,  the  *'  action  "  of  the 
rod  is  the  principal  factor  which  determines  its  perfection. 

The  weight  of  a  good  split  cane  trout  rod  may  vary  from 
three-eighths  to  seven-eighths  of  an  ounce  per  foot,  up  to  a 
length  of  9j  feet,  without  affecting  its  usefulness  or  the 
comfort  of  the  angler.  A  dry  fly  rod  should  be  about 
9  feet  6  inches  in  length,  and,  always  provided  that  the 
action  of  the  rod  when  ready  for  fishing  is  centred  so  that 
no  appreciable  hit  is  noticeable  in  the  wrist  when  the  rod  is 
checked  in  its  backward  or  downward  action,  the  less  whippy 
the  rod  is  the  better  will  be  its  casting  power  and  its  excellence 
as  a  dry  fly  rod. 

The  Consideration  of  a  Stiff  and  of  a  Whippy  Action 
IN  A  Fly  Rod 

If  we  can  imagine  a  rod  which  could  be  built  absolutely 
rigid  from  butt  to  top  ring,  it  would — during  the  back  cast 
— when  the  hand  controlling  it  had  reached  its  back  limit, 
have  done  all  it  could  do  as  regards  transmitting  the  force 
of  the  arm,  and  would  be  powerless  to  affect  any  farther  the 
backward  movement  of  the  line ;  therefore,  unless  the 
necessary  lifting  and  backward  impetus  to  the  line  had 
by  then  been  imparted,  the  back  cast  would  be  a  failure. 

It  follows  that  with  an  absolutely  stiff  rod  the  upward 
and  backward  action  necessary  to  effect  the  backward 
extension  of  the  line  must  take  place  while  the  hand  is 
moving,  and  however  much  force  may  have  thus  been 
applied  by  the  hand,  no  after  assistance  will  be  obtained 
from  the  rod,  as  its  backward  action  will  cease  with  the 
stopping  of  the  hand  action  ;  it  has  acquired  no  bend  and 
has  therefore  no  further  pull  on  the  line. 

Under  these  conditions  the  energy  employed  to  make  a 


ACTION  OF  A  PERFECT  TROUT  ROD        219 

successful  back  cast  with  such  a  rod  would  necessarily  be  of 
a  more  rapid  and  violent  nature,  and,  even  if  effective,  would 
result  in  a  most  prejudicial  disturbance  of  the  water  as  the 
line  was  jerked  backward  ;  the  longer  the  line  the  more 
would  this  fault  develop.  This  of  course  refers  to  a 
perfectly  stiff  rod. 

If  absolute  rigidity  of  the  rod  disappeared,  and  whippiness 
began  to  appear,  a  less  violent  jerk  would  be  required  to 
effect  the  backward  cast,  and  as  whippiness  increased,  the 
jerking  action  would  become  unnecessary  and  would 
disappear  and  devolve  into  the  upward  and  backward 
switching  movement. 

In  the  other  extreme,  an  excessively  whippy  rod,  on  the 
backward  effort  being  applied,  would  rapidly  acquire  such 
a  bend,  that  the  hand  would  have  reached  the  end  of  any 
possible  backward  extension  long  before  enough  energy  to 
conquer  the  frictional  resistance  of  the  water  and  project 
the  line  backward  had  been  imparted,  and  whatever  latent 
energy  had  been  retained  by  the  rod,  it  would  not  be 
sufficient  to  extend  the  line  and  fly  backward  to  its  right 
elevation  with  anything  like  the  vim  required. 

The  Perfect  Rod 

The  perfect  rod  for  each  fisherman  should  enable  him  by 
a  movement  of  the  forearm  from  its  horizontal  to  the 
vertical  position  to  pick  up  off  the  water,  easily  and  quickly, 
and  to  extend  correctly  backward,  such  a  length  of  line  as  he 
may  require  to  use.  The  relative  stiffness  of  a  rod  affects 
its  casting  powers,  and  its  whippiness  affects  its  delicate 
adaptation  of  the  force  applied  in  casting,  striking,  or  playing 
the  fish. 

The  more  perfect  the  rod,  the  less  is  the  danger  of  dis- 
turbing the  surface'of  the  water  when  making  the  back  cast, 
or  of  breaking  the  fine  point  of  the  gut  cast  when  striking. 


220  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

The  pliability  of  the  rod  counteracts  to  a  very  great 
extent  the  fault  of  snatching  the  line  off  the  water  in  the 
back  cast,  or  of  a  too  forceful  strike  at  a  rising  fish.  But 
here  the  advantage  of  the  whippiness  of  a  fly  rod  ends,  and 
the  advantages  of  a  stiff  rod  have  to  be  considered.  Always 
assuming  that  in  other  respects  the  rod  is  perfect,  its 
stiffness  will  permit  a  quicker  and  more  direct  impulse  to 
be  communicated  to  the  line  both  in  casting  and  in  striking, 
a  longer  line  to  be  picked  off  the  water,  a  greater  length  of 
line  projected  in  casting,  and  greater  mastery  over  the  fish 
when  hooked,  a  better  result  when  casting  against  the  wind, 
and  greater  accuracy.  Hence  it  is  that,  when  the  vibrant 
qualities  of  a  rod  are  sufficiently  brilliant  to  secure  an  all 
round  excellence  in  these  latter  qualities,  and  when  its 
balance  and  action  blend  themselves  into  the  muscular  and 
sensitive  qualities  of  the  forearm  of  the  user — that  the 
perfect  rod  is  recognized. 

The  Treatment  of  a  Fly  Rod 

The  rod  which,  in  the  hands  of  a  skilful  and  reasonable 
man,  will  last  for  a  lifetime,  will  in  the  hands  of  another  soon 
become  strained  and  warped  either  by  playing  a  fish  heavily, 
striking  abruptly  when  using  a  long  line,  or  by  trying  to 
jerk  the  line  off  the  water  instead  of  picking  it  off  gradually 
when  making  the  back  cast. 

A  fly  rod  should  be  used  only  as  a  fly  casting  rod,  and 
never  as  a  trolling  or  spinning  one.  The  stiffer  the  rod — 
all  its  other  qualities  being  perfect — the  greater  the  distance 
which  can  be  covered  and  the  greater  the  command  when 
striking  and  playing  a  fish. 

The  casting  power  of  the  rod  depends  on  the  amount  of 
line  which  the  rod  can  raise  from  the  surface  of  the  water. 
The  relation  of  the  line  to  the  rod  must,  therefore,  be  very 
carefully  considered,   and  a  line  whose  taper  and  weight 


ACTION  OF  A  PERFECT  TROUT  ROD         221 

suits  the  strength  of  each  rod  used  by  the  fisherman  should 
alone  be  used.  The  influence  of  an  over  heavy  line  on  a 
delicately  actioned  rod  is  just  as  bad  for  the  rod  as  is  that 
of  a  too  light  line  on  the  pleasure  of  casting  the  fly. 

It  must  be  remembered  when  choosing  a  line  that  the 
lighter  the  tapered  line  the  less  strain  on  the  rod,  the  less 
disturbance  to  the  water  as  the  line  falls  and  the  greater 
the  ease  of  lifting  the  line  lightly  from  the  water.  The 
usefulness  of  a  line  has  as  a  rule  gone  when  the  tapered 
portion  is  worn  out,  and  as  it  is  the  tapered  portion  which 
invariably  goes  first,  the  belly,  or  thicker  portion  of  the 
line,  which  in  other  respects  will  be  quite  sound,  may,  if 
too  heavy,  be  useless  for  the  delicate  work  on  most  of  our 
dry  fly  streams. 

Tournament  Rods 

However  interesting  Fly  and  Bait  Casting  Tournaments 
may  be,  it  is  very  questionable  whether  they  have  really 
tended  to  improve  either  the  methods  of  fishing  or  the 
construction  of  the  fly  rod.  Only  a  few  competitors  enter 
for  these  contests,  and  but  little  advance  in  the  art  of  fly 
casting  has,  so  far  as  I  know,  been  evolved  as  a  result  of  these 
tournaments.  For  a  maker  to  claim  that  his  fly  rods  must 
be  the  best  weapons  to  fish  with,  because  one  carefully 
selected  rod,  out  of  several  thousands  which  he  builds,  has 
in  the  hands  of  the  most  experienced  fly  thrower  he  can  get 
to  use  it,  projected  a  fly,  or  thrown  a  bait,  etc.,  a  few  inches 
or  a  few  feet  further  than  another  of  his  own  rods,  or  the 
rods  of  other  makers,  is  as  absurd  as  it  would  be  for  the 
man  who  makes  the  longest  cast  of  a  fly,  etc.,  to  claim  on 
this  account  any  superiority  in  his  methods  of  fishing  over 
other  men. 

While  tournaments  may  be  used  as  a  convenient  means 
of  advertising  rods  and  rod  sellers,  such  distinction  has 


222  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

led  many  inexperienced  buyers  to  invest  in  rods  which  are 
neither  suitable  nor  pleasant  for  fishing  purposes. 

Points  to  Remember  when  Selecting  a  Rod 

The  greatest  care,  nay — caution — should  be  adopted 
when  purchasing  a  rod. 

It  is  better  in  every  case  for  even  the  most  experienced 
fisherman  to  take  home  for  approval  the  rod  he  may  fancy 
in  a  shop,  and  to  try  it  with  a  line  for  some  ten  minutes 
over  water,  or  on  his  lawn,  and  also  compare  its  casting 
properties  with  some  well-tried  rod,  before  deciding  on  its 
purchase.  If  the  novice  cannot  by  such  means  select  one, 
he  should  obtain  the  advice  of  some  experienced  friend 
before  he  finally  decides  on  his  rod. 

The  action  of  a  rod  cannot  easily  be  judged  in  a  shop. 
The  muscles  which  are  used  in  such  a  trial  are  unfatigued, 
and  the  space  and  time  for  the  trial  are  both  too  limited 
to  permit  of  the  ill  effects  of  the  faulty  action  of  an  ill-made 
rod  to  be  realized,  or  those  of  a  good  rod  thoroughly 
appreciated. 

If  it  were  possible  by  machinery  to  convert  a  bamboo 
from  its  virgin  state  into  a  split  cane  rod  in  its  finished 
condition  as  seen  in  the  shop,  a  standard  rod  might,  under 
certain  circumstances,  be  obtainable.  But  bamboos  differ, 
and  are  not  always  of  an  exactly  equal  degree  of  excellency, 
and  however  even  or  similar  in  appearance  a  shipment  of 
bamboos  may  be,  each  bamboo  will  have  its  own  individual 
quality,  strength  and  elasticity,  and  therefore,  for  this 
reason  alone,  if  a  machine-made  rod  were  possible,  a 
considerable  difference  would  exist  in  each  rod.  When  it 
is  remembered  that  not  only  do  bamboos  differ — that  more 
than  one  man  is  employed  in  making  each  rod — that  each 
of  these  differ  not  only  in  their  sense  of  touch,  experience, 
and  judgment,  but  in  their  moods  and  capabilities,  and  also 


ACTION  OF  A  PERFECT  TROUT  ROD        223 

that  the  meteorological  conditions  vary,  and  consequently 
influence  so  differently  the  building  of  rods,  it  will  be 
recognized  that  no  two  rods  can — except  by  an  accident — 
be  made  with  an  exactly  similar  degree  of  action,  balance 
weight,  elasticity,  stiffness  and  vibration.  It  is  by  the 
educated  senses  of  the  experienced  fly  fisherman  alone  that 
an  accurate  judgment — as  to  the  various  factors  which  go 
to  make  a  good  rod — can  be  formed  and  such  a  rod  selected 
that  at  the  close  of  a  day's  fishing  it  will  be  found  as  effective 
and  pleasant  to  use  as  during  the  first  few  moments  in  which 
it  is  handled.  Excellent  as  are  my  rod  builders,  and 
thoroughly  as  they  devote  themselves  to  the  work  of  building 
my  rods,  carefully  as  I  test,  approve  and  pass  all  those  rods 
on  which  I  allow  my  name  to  appear,  still  each  rod— although 
all  come  into  one  delightful  class— has  its  individual  balance 
and  action,  which  makes  it  heavier  and  stronger,  and  which 
inclines  it  towards  perfection  or  the  reverse. 

To  claim,  therefore,  than  any  fishing  tackle  firm  has  some 
secret  knowledge  or  method  as  to  rod  building,  which  — 
without  that  personal  testing  which  I  consider  necessary — 
will  ensure  that  every  rod  they  may  label  with  some 
particular  name  must  possess  a  similarity  in  its  good — or 
bad — qualities,  is  merely  bluff,  but  it  is  bluff  which  has 
deceived,  and  may  still  continue  to  deceive,  the  novice. 
Further,  it  has  often  this  bad  effect — that  a  beginner, 
purchasing  a  rod,  the  name  of  which  is  supposed  to  be  a 
guarantee  of  its  excellence,  may  probably  find  his  casting 
spoilt  and  his  pleasure  marred  by  a  smart  looking  rod  which, 
after  an  hour's  fishing,  will  become,  from  its  action  on  the 
wrist  and  forearm,  both  difficult  and  painful  to  use. 

While  we  owe  to  the  Americans  the  introduction  of  split 
cane — that  is  split  bamboo — as  a  material  used  in  the 
construction  of  our  fishing  rods,  several  of  our  rod  builders 
may  now  claim  to  produce  rods  equal  to,  if  not  better  than, 


224  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

the  best  American  ones.  Hardy  Bros,  may  be  regarded  as 
one  of  the  leading  pioneers  in  the  building  of  split  cane 
rods  in  England,  but  during  the  last  six  or  seven  years 
several  other  firms  have  gained  public  favour  in  this 
particular  industry,  and  no  one  firm  can  with  justice  claim 
any  pre-eminence  in  the  production  of  either  good  salmon 
or  trout  split  cane  rods.  It  is  to  some  of  our  smaller 
manufacturers  that  we  now  owe  some  of  the  best  and 
choicest  of  our  rods.  Redditch  has  maintained  its  old-time 
superiority  in  the  manufacture  and  construction  of  fishing 
rods,  its  split  cane  rod  industry  being  the  largest  in  the 
world,  and  it  is  well  for  the  public  to  remember  that  the 
majority  of  fishing  rod  and  tackle  businesses  in  London  are 
selling  Redditch  made  rods,  and  that  some  of  those  who 
profess  to  build  their  own  rods  are,  and  have  been  relying 
for  many  years,  on  the  excellent  cane  rods  built  there. 

The  Virtues  or  Otherwise  of  a  Dry  Fly  Rod 

The  excellence  of  a  trout  rod  lies  in  this — that  not  only 
should  it  be  capable  of  conquering  the  fish  you  hook,  but 
it  should  possess  such  a  well-balanced,  tempered  action 
and  weight  that  it  will,  when  in  use,  so  blend  its  action  into 
that  of  the  forearm  as  to  appear,  so  far  as  the  sense  of 
feeling  and  touch  are  concerned,  to  be  but  a  continuance 
of  the  forearm  itself. 

There  is  nothing  more  certain  than  that  tournament 
casting  must  be  regarded  in  the  light  of  a  new  sport,  which 
while  interesting,  and  maybe  useful,  so  far  as  records  are 
concerned,  tends  but  little  to  improve  the  practice  of  fishing. 
The  records  now  made  by  the  best  long  distance  casters 
have  long  since  passed  the  limit  of  usefulness,  and  especially 
is  this  so  as  regards  fly  casting.  The  rods  used  in  casting 
tournaments,  not  only  in  this  country  but  elsewhere, 
for  distance  casting,  are  not  rods  with  which  one  would 


ACTION  OF  A  PERFECT  TROUT  ROD        225 

choose  to  fish.  A  heavy  rod  may  be  useful — to  a  man  who 
is  strong  enough  to  cast  with  it — when  it  is  only  required  to 
make  a  very  long  cast,  or  when  either  from  weeds,  heavy 
fish,  or  owing  to  the  vicinity  of  dangers,  drastic  measures 
have  to  be  adopted  after  a  fish  has  been  hooked,  but  in 
my  opinion  a  nine  foot  six  inch  single-handed  rod  is  about 
the  average  length  of  a  really  useful  wet  or  dry  fly 
weapon,  and  for  comfort  as  well  as  delicacy  the  action  of 
such  a  rod  should  blend  its  virtues  into  those  of  the 
forearm. 

It  was  with  these  ideas  in  my  mind,  and  because  it 
appeared  to  me  that  a  perfect  Dry  Fly  Rod  was  wanted, 
that  in  1908  I  designed  the  first  "  Fred  G.  Shaw  "  rod, 
which  Messrs.  Hardy  Bros,  eventually  succeeded  in 
manufacturing  to  my  satisfaction,  and  which  they  continued 
to  make  and  sell  until  I  reserved  to  myself  alone  the  privilege 
of  using  my  name  on  my  own  patents  and  designs. 


16 


CHAPTER    XIII 
THE  LIFE  OF  THE  SALMON 

The  instinct  of  the  salmon — The  life  of  the  salmon — ^The  Alevin — ^The 
salmon  fly — ^The  appearance  of  the  Parr — ^The  Smolt — ^The  aim  of 
Nature — ^The  smolt  in  salt  water — ^The  Grilse  or  salmon — ^The 
return  when  injured — Spawning — Rejection  of  food  when  captured 
— ^Aggressiveness  of  salmon — ^The  sustenance  of  salmon — ^The 
author's  theory — Other  theories — ^The  gastric  glands  of  salmon — A 
general  view. 

The  Instinct  of  the  Salmon 

From  the  moment  it  leaves  the  friendly  shelter  of  the 
redd,  amid  the  pebbles  of  which  it  has  hatched,  has  absorbed 
the  yolk-sac  attached  to  its  body,  and  passed  from  the 
alevin  to  the  parr  stage,  the  life  of  the  salmon  is  full  of 
interest  to  the  naturalist,  peril  to  itself,  and  danger  to  the 
water  insect  and  smaller  life  with  which  its  parental  stream 
abounds. 

No  watchful  caje  guards  its  early  days  or  assists  its 
first  attempts  to  obtain  food  or  the  shelter  so  necessary 
to  its  tender  and  defenceless  condition.  As  it  emerges 
into  the  rush  of  the  stream  from  the  comparative  safety 
of  the  redd,  a  tiny  inch  of  delicate  but  perfect  fish,  it  is 
swept  into  a  world  teeming  with  watchful  and  ever- 
voracious  enemies.  It  is  by  no  means  helpless,  and  instinct 
teaches  it  to  dart  at  once  for  the  protecting  shelter  of  the 
nearest  root  or  pebble.  In  every  after  moment  of  its 
eventful  life,  in  every  fresh  danger,  until  it  attains  to  its 
full  growth,  it  is  to  the  natural  wisdom  of  its  own  instinct 
that  it  owes  its  safety.     This  instinct  is  the  guiding  influence 

226 


THE  LIFE  OF  THE  SALMON  227 

of  its  whole  life,  and  is  as  vivid  and  compelling  in  its  alevin 
state  as  when,  a  full-grown  salmon,  it  rubs  your  Jock  Scott 
from  its  jaws  against  some  pebbly  bottom,  or  saws  through 
your  cast  against  the  rugged  rock  at  the  foot  of  which  you 
have  perchance  permitted  it  to  sulk,  and  plunges  down- 
stream with  your  broken  trace  trailing  from  its  jaws 
(see  Frontispiece).  Strengthened  though  this  instinct  may 
be  by  after-experience,  it  represents  to  the  salmon  an 
equivalent  for  the  parental  education  so  wonderfully  and 
carefully  imparted  to  most  animal  and  bird  life,  and  to 
all  humans  prior  to  the  age  of  maturity. 

No  education,  indeed,  no  matter  how  complete,  could 
compensate  the  salmon  for  the  absence  of  those  mysterious 
impulses  which  influence  its  life,  which  cause  the  smolt's 
migration  from,  and  return  as  a  grilse  or  salmon  to,  its  native 
waters,  or  for  the  wisdom  which  directs  it  as  it  leaps  for 
the  first  time  up  and  amid  the  dangers  of  the  towering 
fall,  which  sends  it,  when  wounded,  away  from  the  deadly 
contact  of  the  fresh-water  micro-organisms  to  the  healing 
power  of  the  salt  water,  or  guides  it  back  to  the  mouth  of 
its  own  particular  river  after  wandering  over  the  trackless 
bottom  of  the  ocean. 

The  following  remarks  anent  the  habits  and  life  of  the 
salmon  will,  perchance,  contain  some  matter  new  to  those 
who  may  be,  either  from  experience  or  study,  familiar  with 
its  life  history ;  but  they  are  written  mainly  for  those  who 
may  be  anxious  to  acquire  some  general  information  as  to 
the  fish  they  are  so  anxious  to  capture,  and  with  the  hope 
that  such  knowledge  as  the  author  has  acquired  during 
many  years  of  fishing  experience  may  be  of  use  to  them  when 
they  find  themselves  face  to  face  with  some  unexpected 
difficulty  or  problem  connected  with  salmon  life. 

Those  theories,  which  offer  some  new  solution  for  well- 
known  phenomena  associated  with  Salmonidae,  are  suggested 


228  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

by  the  most  probable  and  natural  influence  of  their  own 
instinct. 

The  Life  of  the  Salmon 

If  the  reader  should,  in  the  early  spring,  be  wandering 
beside  the  upper  and  more  shallow  waters  of  any  salmon 
river,  his  attention  may  possibly  be  attracted  to  certain 
mounds  of  gravel  rising  from  the  bottom  of  the  stream. 
He  will  observe  that  these  mounds  are  kept  clean  and  free 
from  mud  by  the  sweep  of  the  current  in  which  they  are 
situated,  and  to  which  they  offer  some  resistance. 

These  gravel  mounds  are  called  salmon  redds,  and  they 
are  formed  by  the  female  salmon  when  spawning. 

During  the  autumnal  and  winter  spawning  season  the 
female  fish,  after  first  making  a  depression  or  trough 
in  the  gravel  and  driving  out  all  muddy  or  weedy  sediments 
by  fin  and  tail  action,  deposits  her  ova  in  the  depression 
she  has  thus  made.  The  eggs,  which  are  heavy  to  a  certain 
degree,  will  remain  on  the  gravel  when  thus  deposited, 
and  are,  or  should  be,  fertilized  by  the  attendant  male 
salmon,  after  which  this  trough  is  either  intentionally 
or  accidentally  filled  up  by  the  disturbed  gravel  as  the 
fish  continue  to  spawn  up-stream,  and  thus  the  eggs  are 
safely  buried  below  perfectly  clean  gravel  matter,  from 
which  all  deleterious  substance,  such  as  silt  and  mud,  has 
been  swept  away,  by  the  struggles  of  the  fish  when  spawning, 
assisted  by  tail  and  fin  action. 

If  fertilization  does  not  take  place  the  eggs  absorb  water, 
and  become  opaque. 

No  matter  how  cold  and  empty  may  appear  the  river 
you  are  watching,  hundreds  of  thousands  of  tiny  lives  are 
healthily  pulsating  beneath  these  stream-swept  redds,  and 
steadily,  as  the  temperature  of  the  river  rises,  are  becoming 
daily  more  capable  of  breaking  through  the  elastic  covering 


THE  LIFE  OF  THE  SALMON  229 

which  now  encloses  them,  and  of  emerging  as  alevin  amid 
the  crevices  of  their  pebbly  surroundings.  Even  here,  while 
yet  in  the  egg  in  the  apparent  security  of  the  redds,  their 
tiny  existence  is  continually  threatened.  Fish  may  root 
them  out  ;  the  larvae  of  the  stone-fiy,  caddis-fly,  May-fly, 
and  dragon-fly  may  penetrate  the  crevices  of  the  redds, 
and  seize  them  in  their  voracious  grasp  ;  the  water-rat 
and  moorhen  may  gobble  them  up,  floods  may  destroy  them, 
or  droughts  may  leave  the  redds  high  and  dry,  and  the  ova 
exposed  to  frost  or  dry  air.  All  these  dangers  are  possible, 
and  many  of  them  are  but  too  common. 

But  haply  none  of  these  dangers  may  disturb  the  eggs  in 
the  redds  we  are  observing.  Each  egg  is  now  in  itself  a 
separate  and  detached  entity,  and  as  such  is  individually 
affected  by  its  own  particular  and  immediate  surroundings. 
In  appearance  it  is  a  translucent  elastic  ball,  less  than 
J  inch  in  diameter,  of  which  a  gallon  measure  would  hold 
some  25,000,  about  the  number  deposited  by  a  27-pound 
salmon  during  any  one  spawning  season  ;  and  yet,  think 
you,  what  possibilities  may  lie  in  any  one  such  minute  atom  ! 
As  I  write  this  I  have  lifted  my  eyes  from  my  paper,  and 
they  have  rested  on  the  skeleton  head  of  my  60-pound 
Norwegian  salmon,  and  as  I  recall  the  splendid  fight  he 
made  years  ago,  it  seems  difficult  to  picture  him  as  being 
once  but  one  of  the  wee,  small  atoms  now  pulsating  beneath 
the  gravel  covering  we  are  considering. 

The  temperature  of  the  water  in  each  salmon  stream 
is  the  principal  factor  which  determines  the  period  during 
which  the  young  salmon  remains  in  the  egg. 

The  Alevin 

This  period  will,  of  course,  vary  with  the  particular 
warmth  or  coldness  of  each  stream  :  with  a  temperature 
of  some  43°  F.  the  eggs  may  hatch  out  in  about  loo  days. 


230  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

while  with  a  temperature  of  36°  F.  the  eggs  will  take  about 
115  days.  It  is  supposed  that  after  about  160  days  the  egg 
may  be  considered  dead,  or  incapable  of  producing  living 
alevin.  This  I  am  inclined  to  doubt,  Nature  under  adverse 
circumstances  extending  life  and  preserving  the  vitality  of 
the  eggs  in  the  moist  atmosphere  of  a  redd  even  when 
exposed  by  the  lack  of  water  in  a  rainless  season.  Cold 
retards  the  development,  but  does  not  deprive  the  ova  of 
their  vitality,  so  long  as  the  eggs  are  moist  and  in  a  moist 
atmosphere.  From  ten  to  fifteen  weeks,  may,  however,  be 
taken  as  covering  the  average  period  of  incubation,  provided 
that  no  abnormal  circumstances  arise  to  check  the  process. 
At  the  end  of  this  period  the  walls  of  the  egg  break  open, 
probably  owing  to  the  growth  and  strength  of  its  inhabitant, 
and  the  alevin  emerges.  It  is  supposed  by  some  that  the 
young  fish  nibbles  its  way  through  the  shell.  As,  however, 
the  mouth  of  the  alevin  does  not  appear  capable  of  a  mus- 
cular movement  sufiiciently  great  to  effect  this,  I  think 
this  must  be  a  purely  analogous  supposition  based  on  the 
known  action  of  young  birds,  etc.  For  a  period  of  about 
five  weeks  the  alevin  generally  remains  hidden  amid  the 
crevices  of  the  gravel  and  pebbles  forming  the  redd.  After  it 
has  left  the  egg,  its  food  is  provided  by  the  yolk  or  umbilical 
sac  attached  to  its  body,  which  not  only  hinders  its  move- 
ments and  compels  it  to  remain  within  the  shelter  of  the  redd, 
but  provides  it  with  sufficient  food  to  sustain  life  and  add  to 
its  strength  and  growth  (see  Plate  XXVII). 

The  Salmon  Fry 

Once  again  a  higher  or  lower  temperature  plays  an 
important  part  in  shortening  or  lengthening  the  alevin 
stage  of  the  salmon  fry.  At  the  end  of  this  stage,  the 
length  of  which  varies  from  five  to  eight  weeks,  it  has 
greatly    increased    in    size,    and    measures    from  1   to   IJ 


m 


THE  LIFE  OF  THE  SALMON  231 

inches  in  length.  As  the  last  vestige  of  the  sac  disappears 
the  alevin  existence  is  ended,  and  the  fry  stage  is  entered 
upon.  The  tiny  fish  now  begins  to  feed  upon  the  minute 
water  insects,  etc.,  surrounding  it  as  it  slowly  works  its 
way  upward  or  outward  by  gentle  degrees  to  the  surface 
or  side  of  the.  redd,  whence  as  it  emerges  it  is  possibly  at 
once  swept  away  by  the  current,  and  unless  it  can  find  some 
immediate  shelter  will  most  probably  fall  a  victim  to  its 
numerous  and  watchful  foes.  But,  tender  and  inexperienced 
as  is  the  young  fish,  it  is  by  no  means  lacking  in  wisdom. 
Instinct  guides  it,  and,  luckily  eluding  its  many  enemies, 
it  finds  its  way  to  the  nearest  shelter,  of  which  it 
immediately  takes  advantage,  and  happily  secures,  below  a 
pebble  or  under  some  neighbouring  root,  a  safe  and  com- 
fortable home  for  the  early  days  of  its  parr  life. 

It  will  be,  then,  in  the  shallows  of  this  river,  near  its 
original  home,  that  it  remains  until  the  following,  or 
perhaps  the  second  or  even  the  third,  spring  after  its  birth. 

The  Appearance  of  the  Parr 

His  growth  is  very  rapid,  and  he  gradually  assumes 
the  delightful  beauty  and  colouring  by  which  the  parr  is 
recognized.  Four  months  after  leaving  the  egg  he  will 
measure  2J  inches,  and  in  six  months  ^  inches.  He  is 
slimmer,  more  graceful  and  more  beautifully  bright  than 
the  troutlet,  but  with  the  exception  of  the  posterior  or 
adipose  fin,  which  has,  unlike  that  of  the  trout,  no  shade  of 
vermilion  edging  in  it,  he  is  similar  to  a  troutlet  of  a  like 
size.  The  transverse  finger-marks  common  to  the  parr, 
about  eleven  in  number,  are  frequently  found  on  young  trout, 
while  the  bright  vermilion  spots  so  dearly  beloved  by  all 
trout  fishermen  are,  previous  to  the  smolt  stage  of  the 
salmon  also  common  to  both  fish. 

The  food  during  the  parr  period  consists  of  the  water- 


232  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

insect  life,  the  young  of  other  fish,  worms,  small  eels,  and 
water  shrimps  ;  and  when  the  supply  has  been  plentiful  it 
will  have  grown,  until  in  the  following  spring  its  length  is 
from  5  to  7  inches,  and  its  weight  from  2i  to  SJ  ounces. 

The  Smolt 

In  the  first,  second,  or  third  spring  succeeding  its 
appearance  as  an  alevin  a  gradual  change  takes  place  in 
the  parr  as  its  smolt  stage  approaches.  It  seldom  rises 
at  a  fly,  its  body  gradually  acquires  a  scaly  covering,  and 
the  beautiful  markings  of  the  parr  state  disappear  beneath 
this  new  and  protective  armour.     (See  Plate  XXVIII.) 

During  these  spring  months  it  and  the  other  parr  who 
have  also  changed  their  appearance  and  entered  the  smolt 
stage,  urged  by  that  instinct  which  has  so  far  guided  them 
in  safety,  with  one  accord  make  their  way  rapidly  to  the  sea. 

Mostly  following  the  sides  and  shallow  parts  of  the 
stream,  but  in  the  dangerous  rapids  keeping  well  down  in 
the  river  channel,  they  drop  down  stream  towards  the  sea  ; 
at  times  they  may  be  seen  flashing  like  bolts  of  silver  down 
the  cascades  and  shooting  over  the  caps  of  the  big  falls. 
Passing  gradually  from  the  purer  and  colder  waters  of  the 
upper  river  into  the  muddy  and  warmer  waters  of  the  tidal 
reaches,  they  finally  emerge  into  the  cool,  food-abounding 
paradise  of  their  ocean  inheritance. 

A  considerable  difference  of  opinion,  however,  exists 
as  to  this  change  of  the  parr  into  the  smolt — not  only  as 
regards  the  percentage  of  fish  in  each  year's  hatch  which 
leave  in  the  spring  of  the  following  or  succeeding  year,  but 
also  as  to  the  sex  of  those  which  change  during  these  years. 

It  has  so  far  been  impossible  to  determine  this  question 
with  certainty,  even  in  regard  to  the  results  of  each  par- 
ticular year's  hatch  of  domesticated  alevin.  How  much 
more  difficult  is  the  problem  where  wild  fish  have  to  be 


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THE  LIFE  OF  THE  SALMON  233 

considered.  As  regards  wild  parr,  their  change  into  the 
smolt  stage  should  bear  an  intimate  relationship  to  the 
particular  locality  and  the  food,  as  well  as  to  the  meteoro- 
logical conditions  of  each  season.  In  unconfined  water, 
therefore,  close  observation  can  only  attempt  approximate 
conclusions  as  to  the  times  at  which  the  parr  of  any  par- 
ticular season's  hatch  change  into  the  smolt,  and  as  to  the 
sexes  affected  at  the  various  times  of  this  change.  It  may  be 
assumed  that  meteorological  conditions  affect  the  periods 
over  which  the  parr  stage  extends,  and  it  is  not  improbable 
that  the  male  parr  is,  as  a  rule,  the  first  to  leave  that  state. 

The  Aim  of  Nature 

There  is,  so  far  as  I  know,  no  evidence  to  disprove  this 
suggestion,  while  there  are  many  arguments  in  favour  of  its 
consideration.  Nature  and  the  laws  of  natural  selection 
are  opposed  to  inbreeding,  the  aim  of  Nature  appearing 
always  to  favour  the  union  of  the  sexes  of  different  stocks. 
The  migration,  therefore,  of  the  male  fish  in  the  first  spring 
would,  on  his  return  from  the  sea,  throw  him  into  contact 
with  the  female  of  another  generation,  and  most  probably 
of  other  parentage,  and  so  on. 

It  may  be  assumed  that  a  minority  of  parr  in  any  one 
season's  hatch  migrate  after  one  year's  river  life,  that  a  large 
majority  of  those  left  behind  as  parr  migrate  after  two  years, 
and  the  small  remainder,  probably  the  weaker  ones,  after 
the  third  year. 

But,  whatever  may  be  the  approximate  facts,  food  and 
temperature  will  be  serious  factors  in  the  development  of 
the  smolt  and  the  time  of  its  migration  to  the  sea. 

We  will  now  follow  the  smolt  of  the  first  year  as  he  darts 
with  a  multitude  of  his  fellows  from  the  river  into  the  sea. 

He  has  at  this  time  all  the  well-known  characteristics 
of  the  salmon  both  in  appearance  and  habits,  and  he  is  yet 


234  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

but  a  little  fellow  who  has  to  depend  entirely  on  his  own 
resources  during  his  three  to  five  months'  stay  in  salt  water. 
Luckily  for  him  he  is  full  of  life  and  vigour,  and  his  river 
training  has  given  him  wonderful  speed  and  quickness, 
while  his  good  fairy,  Instinct,  is  always  with  him. 

The  Smolt  in  Salt  Water 

Nothing  is  definitely  known  as  to  the  wanderings  of  the 
smolt  after  reaching  the  sea,  either  as  to  the  period  which 
elapses  before  he  leaves  the  company  of  his  fellow-s molts, 
or  of  the  distances  to  which  his  travels  thereafter  extend. 
What  we  do  know  is  that  the  chemical  properties  of  the  salt 
water  are  most  favourable  ;  that  his  enemies  are  numerous 
and  voracious ;  that  his  food  is  plentiful  and  wonder- 
fully nourishing,  and  his  appetite  abnormal ;  that,  escaping 
from  the  ogres  of  the  wonderland  in  which  he  travels,  he 
increases  in  size  and  strength  in  a  most  remarkable  manner  ; 
and  that,  after  satisfying  his  feeding  instincts  and  stufiing 
to  repletion,  he  is  called  by  his  fairy  godmother,  and  guided 
amid  the  hills  and  valleys,  the  trackless  plains  and  forests 
of  the  ocean  floor,  back  to  the  home  he  left.  It  is  possible 
that,  as  he  nears  his  destination,  some  perceptible  flavour 
of  his  own  river  may  entice  him  nearer  ;  but  whatever  the 
ties  may  be  which  draw  him  home,  he  may  be  found  in 
the  following  year  a  full-grown  grilse  of  from  three  to  six 
pounds  in  weight,  with  numbers  of  other  grilse  of  his  own 
season,  in  the  lower  reaches  of  the  salmon  rivers,  waiting 
for  a  further  call  to  take  him  away  back  to  the  upland 
stream  of  his  birth. 

During  the  last  six  years  owing  to  the  development  of 
the  science  of  scaleology — to  coin  a  new  word — it  has  been 
conclusively  proved  that  a  grilse  seldom  returns  to  his 
river  during  the  year  in  which  he  goes  down  to  the  sea  as 
a  smolt,  and  that  if  a  fish  does  happen  to  do  so,  it  does  not 


THE  LIFE  OF  THE  SALMON  235 

acquire  the  average  weight  which  grilse  are  supposed  to  have, 
viz.,  from  three  to  six  pounds,  but  would  be  of  considerably 
smaller  size. 

The  Return  to  Fresh  Water 

There  are  varying  periods  in  which  the  smolts  of  any 
one  year's  descent  may  return  to  fresh  water. 

The  first  of  these  to  return  are  then  known  as  grilse, 
and  they  may  appear  at  any  time  from  June  to  December 
in  the  year  following  their  descent  as  smolts  to  salt  water. 

The  next  to  return  are  known  as  small  spring  fish  (salmon). 
These  will  appear  in  the  spring  following  that  in  which  the 
grilse  return,  and  these  salmon  will  in  their  turn  be  followed 
in  the  summer  and  autumn  by  the  summer  and  autumn 
salmon  respectively. 

The  dates  of  the  return  of  the  salmon  for  the  first  time 
to  their  own  river  should  not  be  considered  as  being  due  to 
any  other  cause  than  that  the  opportunity  and  the  desire 
to  run  are  co-incident.  When  circumstances  are  favour- 
able and  the  fish  are  willing,  then  will  they  make  their 
up-stream  run  but  when  circumstances  are  not  so  favour- 
able, or  when  they  are  not  desirous,  they  will  not  do  so. 

These  varying  times  for  the  return  of  salmon  to  fresh 
water  have  been  alluded  to  by  different  writers  as  divided 
immigration,  and  by  some  have  been  considered  as  denoting 
different  types  of  salmon. 

The  Grilse  or  Salmon 

Here  again  meteorological  conditions  affect  his  move- 
ments, and  when  the  condition  of  the  water  in  the  river  up 
which  he  has  to  ascend  is  favourable,  his  instinct  again 
sets  him  going.  It  is  now  that  all  the  strength  and  stamina 
won  during  his  salt-water  experience  is  required  to  carry 
him  safely   through  the  perils  and  the  difficulties  of  the 


236  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

up-stream  run.  Not  only  has  he  to  elude  the  wiles  of  the 
fishermen  and  the  onslaught  of  the  otter,  but  he  has  to 
fight  against  the  bewildering  turmoil  of  the  rapids,  and  the 
more  deadly  and  difficult  ascent  of  the  falls  down  which, 
as  a  smolt,  he  was  carried  a  few  months  before.  It  is  here, 
faced  with  the  thundering  fury  of  the  towering  fall,  that  the 
difficulties  and  dangers  of  the  journey  culminate.  It  can 
only  be  this  ever-compelling  instinct  which  nerves  him 
to  encounter  such  dangers,  and  which  also  prompts  the 
tremendous  effort,  and  indicates  the  only  place  in  the 
descending  waters  which  he  must  strike  in  order  to  gain 
the  haven  above. 

But  with  the  grilse  or  the  salmon  the  attempt  is  made, 
and  though  some  may  be  killed  and  others  stunned  and  torn, 
yet  the  rest  conquer,  and — instances  of  the  survival  of  the 
fittest — are  soon  proceeding  on  their  way  up-stream.  It  is 
on  this  upward  journey  that  the  grilse  of  four  pounds  may 
perchance  pass  the  s molts  of  three  ounces — members  of  his 
own  redd  and  hatched  from  the  same  batch  of  eggs — on  their 
way  down  to  salt  water. 

The  Return  when  Injured 

When  hurt  in  his  upward  course  to  the  spawning  grounds, 
instinct  again  impels  immediate  action.  Stronger  and 
more  imperative  than  spawning  is  the  instinct  of  self- 
preservation.  Fatal  would  be  a  stay  in  fresh  waters  with 
that  gaping  wound  in  his  silvery  side,  for  most  assuredly 
would  the  zoospores  of  the  dreaded  saprolegnia  enter  the 
abrasions  in  his  skin,  and  speedily  destroy  him.*     It  is  only 

*  The  Saprolegnia  Feran,  the  fungus  mentioned  above,  is  said  by  Mr.  J. 
Home  Pattison,  in  "  The  Cause  of  Salmon  Disease  "  not  to  be  the  fungus  of 
the  salmon  disease,  the  latter  being  due  to  a  different  bacillus — the  Bacillus 
Salmon  Pestis — which  taking  advantage  of  wounds  or  abrasions  in  the  exo- 
skeleton  of  the  Salmon,  bores  its  way  into  the  tissues  of  the  epidermis,  and 
dermis.  It  appears  to  be  carried  by  the  water  and  to  affect  fish  other  than 
salmon. 


THE  LIFE  OF  THE  SALMON  237 

in  the  health-giving  waters  of  the  sea  that  a  cure  can  be 
effected,  and  instinctively,  therefore,  will  the  grilse  or  the 
salmon  turn  and  make  his  way  to  the  sea  whenever  his  scales 
are  destroyed  and  his  skin  torn.  Thus  it  is  not  unlikely 
that  the  actual  spawning  of  a  salmon  may  not  take  place 
until  it  has  spent  four  or  five  years  in  the  sea,  and  this 
delay  may  be  accounted  for  by  accidents  which  happen 
to  him  on  his  former  spawning  trips,  and  compel  his  return 
to  the  sea. 

The  smolts  of  any  one's  year's  migration  will  provide 
spawning  salmon  for  any  one  of  the  five  following  years. 
The  great  majority  of  the  fish  of  each  migration  which  do 
return,  will  do  so  during  the  next  three  years,  while  the 
remainder  of  the  returning  fish  from  the  same  year's 
migration  will  do  so  in  the  fourth  or  fifth  succeeding  year. 
No  other  reason  can  be  given  for  the  irregular  return 
of  each  season's  migrating  fish  than  that  due  to  a 
provision  of  nature  to  insure  a  more  certain  distribution 
or  mixing  on  the  spawning  beds  of  the  progeny  of  different 
salmon. 

Salmon  are  irregular  both  as  to  the  time  of  their  return  and 
also  as  to  the  river  they  ascend.  The  early  or  late  ascent 
peculiar  to  different  rivers — by  which  they  are  known  as 
early  and  late  waters — is  due  to  their  temperature  and  local 
climate,  but  each  river  may  vary  as  regards  the  exact  date 
at  which  salmon  run,  being  earlier  or  later  as  the  river 
alters  in  the  volume  of  its  flow. 

Spawning 

To  return  then,  to  our  grilse  or  salmon  ;  he  has  at  last 
reached  the  gravelly  beds  of  the  upper  stream  of  his  own 
river.  Natural  selection,  possibly  assisted  by  repeated 
combat,  will  decide  his  mate,  and  the  female  salmon,  when 
her  condition  is  ripe,  lying  on  her  side,  will  with  lateral 


238  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

movements  of  tail  and  fins,  sweep  the  sand  and  fine  gravel 
away  from  her  body,  and  thus  form  a  hollow  trough,  into 
which  she  proceeds  to  deposit  a  portion  of  her  ova, 
the  male  fish  meanwhile  acting  as  guard,  keeping  off  other 
male  fish,  and  also  the  predatory  attacks  of  troutlets, 
parr,  etc.  Directly  the  female  has  finished  each  batch  of 
ova,  the  male  darts  over  and  fertilizes  them  with  his  mUt, 
and  the  gravel  is  then  swept  over  them. 

Both  male  and  female  salmon  decrease  in  weight  after 
spawning,  and  are  then  in  the  kelt  or  unclean  stage.  The 
greater  the  time  spent  by  the  fish  in  fresh  water  prior  to 
spawning,  the  more  discoloured  does  it  become  and  as  a  kelt 
it  will  exhibit  a  disgusting  comparison  to  its  condition 
as  a  fresh  run  salmon.  It  is  not  impossible  that  a  so- 
called  "  well-mended  kelt  "  may  owe  its  comparatively 
clean  condition  to  the  fact  that  it  has  been  but  a  short 
time  in  fresh  water,  or  that  it  is  a  late  run  salmon  which 
has  not  spawned  in  a  natural  manner,  but  which  has  spent 
or  otherwise  discharged  its  ova,  and  has  not  yet  fallen  back 
to  the  salt  water.* 

Those  fish  which  have  been  for  several  months  in  the 
river,  will  be  of  a  dun,  or  dirty  looking  red  colour,  or  even  of 
a  black  appearance,  and  under  whatever  circumstances 
they  have  discharged  their  ova  they  will  be  exhausted  and 
spent,  and  exhibit  on  their  scales  the  so-called  spawning 
marks,  which  are  in  reality  the  decrepitation  of  portions  of 
the  scale  owing  to  the  genital  changes  and  poor  condition 
to  which  they  have  arrived. 

It  must  also  be  remembered  that  in  rivers  which  offer 
no  great  difficulty  to  ascending  salmon,  such  as  the  Wye, 
fish  running  clean  and  bright  from  the  sea,  very  late  in  the 
season,  and  spawning  in  December  or  January,  might  not, 

*  For  a  full  discussion  on  this  point  see  the  chapter  on  the  Scale  Markings 
of  Salmon,  p.  249. 


THE  LIFE  OF  THE  SALMON  239 

if  caught  immediately  after  spawning,  exhibit  any  great 
amount  of  discoloration,  etc.,  but  they  might  be,  and 
very  often  are  treated,  as  kelts  which  have  recovered  their 
clean  appearance  after  having  deteriorated  prior  to 
spawning.  In  other  words,  the  so-called  bright  and  clean 
kelts  which  are  captured  in  February  and  March  may  never 
have  been  in  any  other  condition  since  leaving  the  sea,  and 
cannot   be   regarded   as   *'  well-mended  kelts." 

A  great  deal  of  literature  has  been  devoted  to  the  problem 
affecting  the  clean  salmon's  pursuit  of  all  moving  objects 
after  it  has  left  the  salt  water,  and  various  explanations  have 
been  advanced  to  account  for  its  apparent  appetite  in  fresh 
water  prior  to  spawning.  The  changes  which  occur  in  the 
stomach  and  alimentary  canal  of  a  fresh-run  salmon  while 
in  fresh  water  preclude  its  taking  food,  and  there  have  been 
few  authentic  cases  of  a  clean  fish  ever  having  been  dis- 
covered in  fresh  water  with  food  in  its  stomach. 

Rejection  of  Food  when  Captured 

A  salmon  when  in  fresh  water  appears  to  pursue  and  take 
in  its  mouth  any  moving  or  novel  object  which  it  sees, 
unless  the  object  be  too  big,  or  the  salmon  be  frightened 
or  warned  by  some  former  unhappy  experience.  What 
is  the  reason  for  this  action  ?  Some,  ignoring  the  physical 
changes  in  the  alimentary  regions,  declare  that  the  salmon 
takes  the  food  into  the  stomach,  but  that  directly  it  is 
hooked,  or  finds  itself  in  a  net,  it  discharges  the  entire  con- 
tents of  the  stomach. 

Mr.  H.  Cholmondeley-Pennell  advanced  the  theory  of 
the  rejection  of  all  food  as  a  possible  solution  of  the  empty 
condition  of  the  salmon's  stomach  when  caught  in  fresh 
water,  and  instances  a  case  where  716  salmon  caught 
in  a  net — in  salt  water — were  seen  to  discharge  quantities 
of   small    eels    as   the   net    approached   the   shore.      This, 


240  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

however,  only  affects  the  question  of  the  fish  in  salt  water 
when  their  stomachs  are  in  the  normal  condition,  and 
therefore  this  evidence  of  Mr.  Pennell's  does  not  help 
matters. 

Aggressiveness  of  Salmon 

Salmon  in  fresh  water  do  not  appear  to  be  hungry 
but  rather  savage,  and  their  attitude  is  more  aggressive 
than  voracious.  The  leaf  floating  on  the  surface  of  the 
stream  is  seized,  bitten,  and  rejected  ;  the  lure  of  the 
fisherman  is  seized,  and,  so  far  as  my  experience  goes,  is 
never  swallowed.  I  have  never  hooked  a  clean  salmon, 
even  when  spinning  with  the  natural  minnow,  save  in  the 
mouth,  and  generally  in  the  tongue  or  jaws  ;  nor  have  I 
heard  of  the  triangle  being  found  embedded  except  in 
the  mouth  or  upper  part  of  the  throat  of  a  clean  salmon.  It 
is  certain  that  when  a  salmon  is  feeding  it  neither  masticates 
nor  attempts  to  masticate  its  food  ;  indeed,  its  teeth  are 
unfitted  for  such  a  process,  and  directly  the  prey  is  seized 
it  is  swallowed.  This  alone  should  dispel  any  belief  in  the 
theory  that  a  clean  fish  feeds  in  fresh  water  ;  for  if  it  did 
so,  the  bait,  when  it  was  seized,  would  be  immediately 
swallowed,  and  innumerable  cases  would  occur  in  which  the 
salmon  would  have  to  be  cut  open  in  order  to  liberate  the 
hooks  attached  to  the  lure.  One  powerful  argument  which 
has  to  be  met  is,  that  salmon  are  frequently  caught  with 
worms  as  bait,  and  if  the  hooks  to  which  these  worms  are 
attached  were  found  in  the  stomach  of  the  salmon,  an 
even  stronger  case  would  have  to  be  answered  ;  but  so  far 
as  my  information  goes,  these  hooks  are  not  found  in  the 
stomach.*  Eels,  and  worm-like  larvae  are  as  great  a  danger 
to  the  salmon  ova  and  alevin  as  any  other  denizen  of  fresh 

*  A  hook  baited  with  worms  would  be  the  most  likely  lure  to  be  swallowed. 
Their  slippery  nature  would  suggest  their  being  more  easily  admitted  into  the 
congested  alimentary  canal  than  other  classes  of  food. 


THE  LIFE  OF  THE  SALMON  241 

water,  and  thus  their  destruction  by  the  salmon  may  be 
regarded  as  naturaL 

The  Sustenance  of  Salmon 
Salmon,  it  has  been  affirmed,  when  in  fresh  water, 
live  on  their  cream— that  is,  the  adipose  matter  distributed 
through  their  body — until  spawning  operations  are  over, 
even  as  the  hibernating  fish  live  on  their  fat  until  their 
winter  is  past.  The  loss  of  the  appetite  of  the  salmon  is 
natural  when  the  object  of  their  visit  to  fresh  water  is 
remembered— that  is,  to  spawn.  The  insect  and  fish  life 
of  a  river  is  insufficient  to  sustain  an  inrush  of  healthy 
feeding  salmon  with  appetites  such  as  are  common  to  these 
fish  when  in  salt  water  ;  hence  if  their  appetites  continued 
all  living  creatures  in  the  fresh  waters  of  the  salmon  river 
might  possibly  be  destroyed,  and  the  salmon  would  not,  in 
succeeding  years,  leave  the  salt  water,  where  food  is  plentiful, 
and  enter  an  empty  river,  however  strong  their  spawning 
instincts,  and  for  this  reason — an  appetite  would  imply  a 
necessity  for  food,  which  food  would  in  such  a  case  be 
unobtainable. 

The  Author's  Theory 

What,  then,  causes  them  to  pursue  and  seize  moving 
objects  prior  to  spawning  ? 

It  has  been  shown  that  the  guiding  influence  of  their 
life  is  instinct,  and  instinct  in  this  case  makes  them  destruc- 
tive. A  similar  impulse  pervades  all  Nature,  and  teaches 
the  parent  to  destroy  or  to  drive  off  any  creatures  that 
are  likely  to  endanger  the  safety  of  its  young.  Salmon 
enter  fresh  water  for  one  purpose  alone,  and  instinct  teaches 
them  that  all  moving  inhabitants  of  fresh  water  constitute 
a  future  danger  to  the  well-being  of  the  defenceless  young 
which  they  must  leave  behind. 


17 


242  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

I  have,  when  well  concealed  from  sight,  while  watch- 
ing salmon,  quietly  thrown  in  preserved  minnows,  worms, 
and  snails.  These  have  been  seized,  chewed,  and,  as  far 
as  I  could  see,  invariably  rejected  by  the  salmon.  Nature, 
despite  its  immutable  laws  of  supply  and  demand,  is 
rarely  destructive  for  destruction's  sake,  and  the  salmon's 
attack  on  moving  objects  is  actuated  by  the  absolutely 
natural  law  which  dictates  the  safety  and  survival  of 
the  species. 

As  the  spawning  season  of  trout  approaches  they  lose 
their  appetites  and  their  condition,  and  though  at  times 
food  is  doubtless  swallowed  and  enters  the  stomach  of 
the  trout,  it  appears  to  lead  to  trouble.  The  few  cases 
in  which  it  is  stated  that  food  has  been  found  in  the  stomach 
of  clean  salmon  when  in  fresh  water  may  be  regarded  as 
the  exceptions,  which  justify  the  contention  that  salmon 
cease  feeding  when  about  to  spawn. 

Other  Theories 

Those  who  hold  that  salmon  feed  when  in  fresh  water 
account  for  the  accepted  emptiness  of  their  stomachs 
as  being  due  either  to  the  immediate  assimilation  of  the 
food  they  swallow,  owing  to  the  powerful  action  of  their 
gastric  juices,  or  else  to  the  assumption  that  salmon  vomit 
forth  the  contents  of  their  stomachs  directly  they  are 
hooked  or  netted,  and  before  being  handled.  This  school 
of  thinkers  admit,  however,  that  the  appetites  of  the  fish 
are  less  when  in  fresh  water  than  in  salt,  and  that  food  is  but 
seldom  found  in  the  stomachs  of  salmon  save  when  they  are 
taken  in  salt  water.  If  the  appetites  of  salmon  are  stronger 
in  the  sea,  and  if  food  is  partaken  of  in  greater  quantities 
than  when  in  fresh  water,  it  follows  that  the  gastric  juice 
should,  when  the  fish  is  in  salt  water,  be  proportionately 
more  rapid  in  its  action  and  more  powerful  in  its  character. 


THE  LIFE  OF  THE  SALMON  243 

in  order  to  enable  the  fish  to  assimilate  the  greater  amount 
of  the  food  they  then  take.  Only,  however,  on  the  reverse 
assumption — that  in  fresh  water  the  gastric  juice  is  increasing 
instead  of  diminishing  in  its  power — can  the  members 
of  this  school  of  belief  explain  the  theory  they  advance, 
i,e.,  the  rapid  assimilation  of  the  food  the  salmon  swallows 
in  fresh  water,  while  still  having  to  admit,  that  obviously 
the  gastric  juices  have  had  no  such  rapid  solvent  effect, 
at  any  rate  in  relation  to  the  food-evidence  they  advance 
in  order  to  prove  their  contention. 

In  order  to  justify  his  belief  that  salmon  feed  while  in 
fresh  water,  a  contributor  to  a  sporting  paper  recently 
related  the  following  facts:  A  salmon  of  14  pounds — 
presumably  a  fresh-run  fish — was  killed  and  taken  home, 
and  on  being  opened  was  found  to  contain  a  rat  in  its 
stomach.  This  rat — which  is  the  evidence  he  advances  that 
salmon  feed  in  fresh  water — must  have  been  swallowed  some 
time  before,  but  it  had  not,  apparently,  suffered  from  the 
attack  of  the  gastric  juices  which  this  writer  claims  as  being 
so  powerful  a  solvent  that  **  any  food  that  is  swallowed  is 
almost  immediately  assimilated."  Neither  had  it  been 
vomited,  as  it  should  have  been  if  the  vomiting  theory  held 
by  others  of  his  opinion  can  be  accepted  as  accurate. 

In  a  second  instance,  he  states  that  a  huge  kelt  was 
captured  in  his  presence  which  had  in  its  mouth  a  partially 
swallowed  J-pound  trout,  perfectly  fresh  and  apparently 
just  seized.  The  head  and  shoulders  had  been  reduced  to 
a  mere  pulp,  and  he  considers  that  the  rapid  action  of  the 
salmon's  gastric  juices  accounted  for  the  pulp-like  condition 
of  that  portion  of  the  trout  even  before  it  reached  the 
stomach  of  the  salmon,  for  he  states  that  the  tail  end,  from 
the  dorsal  fin,  was  uninjured.  The  trout  in  this  instance 
cannot  be  taken  as  proof  that  the  salmon  swallows  food,  but 
only  that   he   would  like  to,   and  apparently   makes  the 


244  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

attempt  while  in  fresh  water.  Now,  if  the  salmon's  stomach 
was  in  the  normal  feeding  condition  this  small  trout  should 
have  been  completely  swallowed  by  the  huge  kelt,  even  as 
the  rat  was  swallowed  by  the  small  salmon  ;  in  which  case 
not  the  head  only,  but  the  whole  of  the  trout  would  have 
entered  the  stomach  of  the  salmon,  and  would  have 
been  reduced  to  pulp.  Salmon  have  been  found  in  estuaries 
with  full-sized  herrings  in  their  stomachs.  If  they  are 
capable  of  swallowing  full-sized  herrings,  it  is  obvious  that 
a  huge  kelt  would  have  no  difficulty  at  all  in  swallowing  a 
J-pound  trout.  The  rat,  however,  found  completely  in 
the  stomach  was  undigested.  These  contradictions  may 
be  taken  as  samples  of  the  proofs  (sic)  and  arguments 
advanced  to  show  that  not  only  do  clean  salmon  eat  and 
swallow  food,  but  that  this  is  the  aim  and  object  of  their 
onslaught  on  things  living  and  moving  in  fresh  water. 
Two  totally  dissimilar  results  of  swallowing,  or  attempting 
to  swallow,  food  are  advanced  to  prove  this  theory ;  in 
neither  case  are  these  arguments  successful. 

A  fish  will  often  seize  another  which  is  too  large  for  it 
to  swallow.  A  fish  so  seized  enters  the  throat  of  its  captor, 
and  apparently  sticks  in  that  position  ;  fish  have  been  at 
times  caught  on  a  lure  in  these  circumstances.  One  end 
of  the  smaller  fish,  when  removed  from  the  larger  one,  is 
more  or  less  in  a  pulpy  condition,  or  at  least  shows  some 
signs  of  decomposition,  and  it  has  always  appeared  to  me 
to  be  an  open  question  as  to  the  causes  which  have  produced 
this  condition  in  the  smaller  fish.  The  contributor  to  the 
Fishing  Gazette  mentioned  above  considers  it  due  to  the 
action  of  the  gastric  juices,  and  if  this  is  so  these  gastric 
juices  must  have  been  in  the  throat,  and  not  in  the 
stomach  ;  he  ignores  the  effect  of  the  vomeral  bone  and 
teeth,  throat  pressure,  and  muscular  action,  to  say  nothing 
of  the  laceration  of  the  other  teeth. 


THE  LIFE  OF  THE  SALMON  246 

While  fishing  Mr.  George  Beck's  stretch  of  the  Evanger 
River,  Norway,  in  1899,  Mr.  Arthur  Wellington  Naylor 
hooked  a  fresh-run  20-pound  salmon  forty  miles  from  the 
sea,  and  having  no  lice  on  it.  The  triangle  of  the  lure 
which  he  had  been  using  was  fixed  in  the  upper  and  lower 
jaw  of  the  fish,  completely  closing  its  mouth.  After  the 
fish  was  gaffed,  the  tail  of  a  parr  4  inches  long,  half  digested, 
was  seen  protruding  from  its  mouth.  This  happened  in 
July.  This  evidence  is  important.  The  parr  had 
apparently  been  swallowed,  and  the  fact  that  no  sea-lice 
were  on  the  salmon  argued  that  the  salmon  had  been  some 
days  out  of  salt  water.  It  is  by  no  means  an  uncommon 
thing  for  salmon  to  clear  forty  miles  of  the  lower  stretches 
of  a  river  with  sea-lice  on  them.  I  have  killed  salmon 
fifty  miles  from  the  sea  having  sea-lice  on  them.  The 
deduction  which  can  be  made  from  this  fact  is  that  this 
particular  salmon  had  been  some  little  time  in  fresh  water  ; 
that  either  during  that  time  or  after  it  left  salt  water  it  had 
taken  and  kept  in  some  part  of  its  alimentary  system  a  parr, 
which  when  hooked  it  had  endeavoured  to  disgorge ; 
but,  owing  to  the  fact  that  its  jaws  were  firmly  held  together 
by  the  triangle,  the  parr  when  rejected  from  the  thorax, 
could  not  pass  between  them.  This  is  an  argument  in 
favour  of  the  assumption  that  salmon  do  at  times  take 
matter  as  food  while  in  fresh  water,  and  that  this  food  has 
the  appearance  of  being  partially  digested,  but  not  that  it 
enters  their  stomach. 

The  Gastric  Glands  of  Salmon 
Dr.  J.  Kingston  Barton  states  definitely  that  the  digestive 
organs  of  salmon  taken  with  rod  and  line,  and  examined 
by  himself,  were  "  absolutely  normal."  This  from  such  an 
authority  appears  conclusive,  in  so  far  as  the  healthiness  and 
normality  of  such  organs  are  concerned,  but  it  does  not  of 


246  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

necessity  imply  that  these  organs  were  active,  or  inclined 
to  be  active  ;  while  healthy,  their  powers  might  still  be 
in  abeyance.  If  the  digestive  organs  of  a  hibernating 
animal  were  examined,  they  would  undoubtedly  be 
found  in  a  normal  condition,  as  would  the  digestive 
organs  of  Dr.  Sacchi  during  the  course  of  one  of  his 
long  fasts. 

If,  indeed,  the  gastric  glands  of  either  the  bear  or 
the  doctor  were  actively  discharging  their  contents  on  to 
the  delicate  tissues  of  an  empty  stomach,  it  .is  certain  that 
the  bear  would  not  sleep,  and  that  the  doctor  would  not 
rest,  during  the  fast.  The  gastric  glands  and  the  juices 
they  supply  may  be  regarded  as  the  agents  in  preparing  the 
nutritive  properties  of  food  for  conversion  into  blood.  In 
certain  physically  or  mentally  unhealthy  conditions  of  life, 
the  gastric  glands  will  at  times  discharge  gastric  juice  after 
the  stomach  has  emptied  itself,  generally  causing  thereby 
stomachic  trouble  and  may  be  insomnia. 

In  healthy  fresh-run  salmon  we  may  assume  that  the 
digestive  organs,  though  normal,  are  merely  inoperative. 
The  salmon  have  ceased  to  feed,  the  stomach  becomes 
empty,  and,  as  a  consequence,  exhibits  a  very  natural 
contraction,  sufficient  to  cause  a  difficulty  in  receiving  food.* 
On  this  latter  and  important  point  many  writers  seem  to 
agree,  while  a  small  minority  of  fishermen  continue  to  assert 
that  the  stomach  does  receive  food,  and  that  the  salmon 
does  in  reality  continue  to  feed  when  in  fresh  water.  A 
feasible  suggestion  has  been  advanced  by  Dr.  Barton  to 
account  for  salmon  apparently  coming  on  the  feed  when  in 
fresh  water.     He  says  :  "  Knowing  that  the  digestive  organs 

*  When  those  who  have  become  seriously  exhausted  from  want  of  food,  either 
through  accident  as  in  the  case  of  shipwrecked  sailors,  or  through  design  as  in 
the  case  of  Dr.  Sacchi,  the  alimentary  passages  into  the  stomach  contract, 
and  when  feeding  again  commences,  unless  nourishment  is  administered  in 
small  quantities,  and  in  an  easily  assimilated  form,  great  pain  and  the  gravest 
results  may  occur. 


THE  LIFE  OF  THE  SALMON  247 

are  only  in  abeyance,  one  can  easily  understand  why  a  tired 
and  slightly  hungry  fish  will  dash  at  a  morsel  that  simulates 
some  food  of  its  liking." 

The  pursuit  of  the  lure  by  a  salmon  may  possibly  be 
induced  by  an  appetite,  which  is  excited  as  a  result  of 
fatigue,  but  which  appetite  it  is  prevented  from  satisfying. 
The  instincts  of  spawning  have  induced  it  to  leave  the  ocean 
in  which  it  has  been  feeding,  and  were  the  stomach,  etc., 
to  continue  to  receive  food  the  gratification  of  appetite  might 
deter  the  salmon  from  the  arduous  work  of  ascending 
its  river.  Hence  it  is  not  improbable  that  Nature  by 
preventing  it  from  swallowing  food,  turns  its  attention  once 
more  to  the  up-stream  journey. 

Salmon  continue  to  feed,  i.e.,  to  take  the  lure,  for  some 
days  after  they  have  entered  a  new  pool,  and  that  in  most 
cases  long  after  any  physical  exhaustion,  produced  by  the 
effort,  would  have  disappeared. 

A  General  View 

Salmon,  like  trout,  may  feed  prior  to  and  when  spawn- 
ing, and  they  may  or  may  not  at  such  times  swallow  food. 
Their  gastric  juices  may  sometimes  act  with  lightning  result, 
then  again  at  others,  as  in  the  case  of  the  rat,  be  inoperative, 
and  they  may  both  feed  and  swallow  during  a  period  when 
others  of  their  kind  cease  feeding  ;  but  such  isolated  cases  as 
are  advanced,  even  if  they  be  considered  as  proved,  should 
be  regarded  as  exceptions  tending  to  prove  a  general  rule. 
But  that  salmon  do  not  feed,  in  the  general  sense  of  the 
word,  prior  to  or  during  their  spawning  operations  is,  I 
think,  acknowledged  by  most  people,  and  hence  the 
pursuit  of  the  denizens  of  fresh-water  may  be  due  to  the 
instinctive  desire  to  preserve  their  species  from  the  inevit- 
able dangers  of  any  attack,  and  therefore  my  theory  may 
be  worthy  of  some  attention. 


248  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

It  may  also  be  a  reasonable  supposition  to  imagine  that 
the  salmon,  whether  hungry  or  not,  and  whether  capable 
of  swallowing  or  of  assimilating  any  food  it  may  seize,  may 
be  still  influenced  by  the  feeding  habits  which  have  been  so 
strongly  developed  during  its  visit  to  salt  water,  and  that, 
continuing  the  attack  on  all  moving  objects,  it  unconsciously 
fulfils  a  natural  duty  which  tends  to  the  future  safety  of  its 
young. 


CHAPTER  XIV 
THE  SCALES  OF  THE  SALMONID^ 

The  scales  of  the  Salmonidae — Scale  growth — ^The  physiological  changes 
in  the  condition  of  salmon — ^Discoloured  fish — ^Estuary  of  the 
Severn — ^The  Wye — Icelandic  rivers — ^The  respective  influences 
of  salt  and  fresh  water  on  salmon — ^The  question — ^The  ova  of 
salmon — Mr.  Hutton  and  the  Spawning  mark — ^The  varying 
number  of  rings  on  a  scale — ^The  examination  of  a  salmon's  scale — 
The  scales  of  salmon  from  the  river  Add — ^The  Add  and  the  Wye — 
Mr.  Gathorne-Hardy — ^The  river  Awe — Synopsis. 

It  should  not  be  foreign  to  the  scope  of  this  work  to 
consider  the  interesting  problems  which  are  associated  with 
the  markings  on  the  scales  of  the  salmonidae.  This  study, 
though  in  its  infancy,  has  already  added  much  knowledge 
concerning  the  life  and  habits  of  our  salmon  to  the  pages 
of  natural  history. 

We  are  indebted  to  the  pioneers  of  this  new  science — 
naturalists  and  writers  such  as  Dr.  Hoffbauer,  Dr.  Giinther, 
Messrs.  Johnston,  Hutton,*  Calderwood,  Malloch,  Dr.  Master- 
man,  Dr.  Dahl,  Professor  Hickson  and  others,  and  to  the 
interesting  articles  which  have  appeared  in  The  Field,  The 
Fishing  Gazette,  The  Salmon  and  Trout  Magazine,  The 
Scottish  Field,  etc.,  for  the  data  on  which  the  greater 
portion  of  this  new  science  is  based. 

It  is  owing  to  my  analysis  of  such  data,  supplemented 
by  my  own  experience  and  from  the  information  I  have 
obtained  from  those  in  control  of  the  netting  operations  in 
our  big  rivers,  that  I  have  ventured  to  differ  from  certain 
conclusions  which   have  been  drawn    from  the    markings 

*  The  careful  research  and  instructive  data  given  in  Mr.  J.  A.  Hutton's 
article  in  the  Salmon  and  Trout  Magazine  are  particularly  valuable. 

249 


250  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

on  the  scales  of  a  salmon,  and  which  conclusions  in  my 
opinion  prevent  the  life  history  of  the  salmon  from  being 
accurately  determined. 

The  Scales  of  the  Salmonid^ 

These  scales  are  known  as  cycloid  scales.  They  grow 
from  folds  or  pockets  in  the  skin,  as  small  thin  and  trans- 
parent flaky  pellicles  of  a  homogeneous  character,  invisible 
to  the  naked  eye. 

They  are  developed  in  the  early  life  of  the  troutlet,  or 
the  parr,  as  soft  and  pliable  additions  to  the  epidermis  or 
outer  skin,  and  as  the  development  of  the  fish  takes  place 
they  gradually  harden  and  become  as  characteristic  as  shells, 
nails,  claws,  hair,  and  the  exo-skeleton  coverings  of  other 
living    creatures. 

The  first  pellicle  forms  the  nucleus  of  the  scale,  and  this 
is  being  continually  added  to  as  the  fish  grows,  each  fresh 
increase  extending  itself  in  all  directions  in  the  same  plane, 
and  slightly  beyond  the  edge  of  the  preceding  addition. 

When  the  scales  of  a  maiden  fish  are  removed,  and  placed 
under  a  lens,  each  growth  appears  as  a  more  or  less  noticeable 
band  extending  beyond,  but  concentric  to  the  edges  of  all 
the  preceding  laminae. 

It  will  be  seen  that  from  these  markings  we  can,  until 
decrepitation  has  occurred,  deduce  the  past  history  of 
the  life  of  the  salmon.  The  width  of  the  protruding 
edges  of  each  newly  formed  lamina  will  depend  on  the 
growth  of  the  fish,  i.e.,  on  the  amount  of  skin  surface  which 
has  to  be  protected ;  the  rapidity  of  its  growth  again 
depending  on  the  nature  and  amount  of  the  food  it  has  taken. 

There  is  but  little  difference  between  the  skin  of  the 
parr  and  that  of  the  small  trout,  but  the  following  distinction 
between  the  two  fish  can  be  made  by  the  fisherman.  First, 
the  tail  of  the  parr  will  gradually  assume  the  forked  or  lobed 


PLATE    XXVIIlA. 


'II,. 


-  3rd.Vr, 


'Znd.Yr 


Scale  of  Young  Salmon  showing  Seasonal  Markings. 


PLATE    XXVIIlB. 


Scale  of  2 si  lb.  Spring  Fish,  Wye. — Hen. 

Denudation  showing  spawning  visit,  but  the  annular  markings  do  not 

show  the  correct  age  of  fish.       See  page  275. 


THE  SCALES  OF  THE  SALMONIDiE  251 

appearance  common  to  the  salmon,  while  the  anterior 
edge  of  the  trout's  tail  will  always  present  a  straight  edge 
when  the  tail  is  opened.  Secondly,  the  adipose  fin  of  the 
parr  is  always  without  pink  colour,  while  the  trout's  adipose 
fin  has  always  a  more  or  less  pink  spot  or  colouring.  It  is 
not  until  the  smolt  stage  of  the  parr  approaches  that  a 
difference  is  first  noticed  in  the  appearance  of  the  skin,  when, 
either  from  a  changing  physiological  condition  in  the  young 
salmon,  or  from  a  greater  absorption  of  the  material  elements 
of  which  the  skeleton  and  exo-skeleton  are  built,  fresh 
laminae  more  rapidly  succeed  each  other,  and  as  each 
fresh  addition  is  added  to  the  young  scale  its  superficial  area 
is  increased  by  the  width  of  the  latest  formed  band  of  scale 
material  (see  Plate  XXVIIIa). 

The  scales  thus  expand,  and  become  imbricated  at  their 
posterior  ends.  This  overlapping  does  not  stop  the  growth 
of  this  portion  of  the  scale,  however,  for  the  ducts  which 
must  supply  the  material  from  which  the  scale  is  formed 
still  continue  their  functions. 

The  scale,  as  it  grows,  now  presents  the  appearance  of 
a  delicate  silvery  armour,  which  characterizes  the  advent  of 
the  smolt  period,  and  so  long  as  the  smolt,  grilse  or  salmon 
is  healthy  and  in  good  condition,  this  silvery  sheen  will  be 
retained  by  the  exposed  portion  of  its  scales. 

The  brilliant  opalescent  glaze  of  the  scale  is  transmitted 
by  some  iridescent  pigment  in  the  membranous  covering, 
possibly  of  a  calcareous  nature,  which,  if  examined  under  a 
magnifying  glass,  will  recall  the  iridescent  lustre  often 
seen  in  the  track  of  snails.  The  formation  of  the 
membranous  covering  of  the  scales,  in  which  this  brilliant 
sheen  occurs,  appears  to  arise  from  a  mucous  secretion 
issuing  from  a  similar  class  of  ducts  to  those  which  supply 
the  material  creating  the  shells  of  certain  of  the  mollusc 
family. 


262  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

The  scales  cover  the  body  like  the  tiles  on  the  roof  of 
a  house,  and  the  markings  on  the  exposed  posterior  portion 
of  each  scale  may  thus  suffer.  The  markings  on  the 
anterior  and  greater  portion  of  the  scale  surfaces  are 
protected  by  the  overlapping  of  those  above  them,  and  are 
only  affected  by  physiological  conditions  such  as  those 
which  take  place  as  the  genital  changes  occur.  The  change 
— during  this  period — in  the  character  of  the  material  of 
which  the  mucous  covering  of  the  scale  is  formed,  may  to  a 
certain  extent  cause  the  breaking  down  of  a  portion  of  the 
structure  of  each  scale. 

Prior  to  spawning,  the  calcareous  or  other  elements 
giving  this  brilliant  iridescent  sheen  to  a  portion  of  the 
membranous  covering  of  the  scale,  are  possibly  required  to 
build  up  the  ova  of  the  fish,  and  as  a  consequence  the 
appearance  of  the  scales  suffers,  and  this  membranous 
covering  loses  its  brilliancy  and  resiliency,  becoming  dull, 
heavy  and  coloured. 

As  the  spawning  condition  of  the  salmon  approaches, 
the  constituents  of  the  mucous  matter  appear  to  alter ; 
though  it  does  not  seem  to  decrease  in  volume,  it  apparently 
becomes  more  slimy  in  character  and  envelops  the  scales 
more  thickly — especially  in  the  cock  fish — and  gradually 
merges  them  more  or  less  into  the  epidermis. 

Scale  Growth 

As  the  smolt  passes  into  the  grilse  stage  and  then  into 
that  of  the  salmon,  a  series  of  laminae  are  being  continually 
added  to  the  scales,  the  outer  edges  of  which  laminae  are 
formed  presumably  to  protect  the  skin  as  the  body  of  the 
fish  increases  in  size  and  outgrows  the  covering  afforded 
by  the  former  growth  of  scale  surface. 

The  posterior  portions  of  each  addition  to  the  scale 
appear    to    grow    with    less    rapidity    than    the    anterior 


THE  SCALES  OF  THE  SALMONID^  253 

portion,  and  thus,  as  the  salmon  grows,  the  nucleus  gradually 
loses  its  central  position  in  the  scale,  and  tends  to  approach 
the  posterior  edge  (see  Plate  XXX.). 

It  will  also  be  noticed  that  the  annular  bands  added  to 
the  scale  are  of  varying  numbers,  and  width,  and  if  they 
are  carefully  examined  it  will  be  seen  that  the  alternate 
occurrences  of  the  wider  and  narrower  bands  form  a  series, 
and  each  complete  series  of  such  varying  widths  of  these 
annular  markings  indicate  the  age  as  well  as  the  annual 
increase  in  the  size  of  the  fish. 

I  consider  the  explanation  generally  given  by  modern 
writers  as  to  the  individually  varying  size  of  these 
additions  to  the  scale  of  a  salmon  worth  consideration. 

It  is  said  that  the  annual  periods  of  decrease  in  the  size 
of  the  scale  bands  is  due  to  the  limited  food  supply  to  be 
found  during  each  winter  in  the  sea.  As  we  do  not  know 
where  the  salmon  goes  to  during  his  summer  and  winter 
sea  hfe,  we  cannot  know  whether  or  not  his  winter  habitat 
is  less  happily  provided  with  food  material  than  his  summer 
quarters,  and  therefore  if  some  other  reason  will  provide  a 
more  satisfactory  explanation  I  think  it  is  worth  examination. 

It  has  been  proved  that  a  salmon,  if  kept  in  fresh  water, 
and  isolated,  will  year  by  year,  as  the  spawning  season 
comes,  develop  the  condition  of  a  spawning  salmon,  will 
neglect  its  food,  will  suffer  in  appearance,  etc.,  and  we  can 
safely  assume  that  salmon  in  salt  water,  even  if  they  do  not 
visit  the  coast,*  also  develop  certain  of  the  genital  changes 
associated  with  the  creation  of  ova,  as  each  spawning 
season  approaches,  i.e.,  winter  time,  and  it  is  not  improbable 
that  at  such  times,  as  with  all  other  fish,   their  appetites 

*  It  may  be  that  most  if  not  all  the  fish  of  each  year's  batch  of  smolts  may 
visit  our  shores  as  shoals  of  grilse  or  young  salmon,  but  that  many  members  of 
each  such  shoal  may  either  be  unable  to  ascend,  or  not  in  a  condition  to  wish 
to  ascend,  the  river  of  their  birth,  and  that  these  return  to  the  sea  until  a 
more  favourable  opportunity. 


254  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

decrease,  and  little  or  no  food  is  taken  by  them.  Their 
bodies  do  not  increase  in  size  to  any  considerable  extent, 
and  nature  is  therefore  not  called  upon  to  make  any  very 
great  increase  in  the  size  of  the  scales. 

I  cannot  agree  that  the  diminution  of  the  annular 
markings  can  be  considered  as  being  due — as  has  been 
suggested — to  disturbance  of  the  salmon  while  on  their 
feeding  ground.  It  is  far  too  regular  in  its  occurrence  and 
covers  too  long  a  period  of  each  annual  series. 

Trout  and  their  Scales 

Trout  will  also  develop  their  scales — but  more  slowly 
than  the  smolt — as  they  encounter  or  pass  into  waters 
containing  (either  as  an  element  or  a  component  part  of 
its  smaller  inhabitants)  an  increasing  quantity  of  lime  salts. 
In  the  waters  of  New  Zealand  this  exo-skeleton  growth  is 
very  remarkable,  the  Brown  Trout  of  the  Southern  Island 
especially  developing  similar  scale  markings  to  those  on  the 
scales  of  salmon.  The  large  trout  in  that  country,  save 
during  the  spawning  season,  appear  to  reside  and  flourish 
best  in  the  tidal  waters  of  the  rivers,  but  the  exact  extent 
of  their  visit  to  the  sea,  if  any,  has  not  yet  been  determined. 

Trout  of  one  year  or  two  years*  growth,  on  leaving  the 
streams  flowing  into  Loch  Leven  and  entering  its  waters, 
develop  their  scales,  which,  like  the  smolt  scales,  gradually 
conceal  their  former  markings  (see  Plate  XXIX.). 

When  young  the  skin  of  the  ordinary  brown  trout  appears 
to  the  touch,  and  when  scraped,  to  be  as  free  from  scales  as 
the  lamprey.  In  many  of  our  chalk  streams,  especially 
in  rivers  like  the  lower  part  of  the  Test,  where  sub-aqueous 
foods  of  the  water-shrimp  variety  are  plentiful,  the  scales, 
as  they  grow,  change  very  considerably  the  colouring  and 
appearance  of  the  trout  from  that  by  which  it  is  known  in 
the  upper  portions  of  its  rivers.     The  scales  can  be  detached 


THE  SCALES  OF  THE  SALMON  IDiE  255 

from   the  trout   of  many   of   our   rivers  after  the  second 
year's  growth. 

The  development  of  a  line  of  scales  forming  a  silver  bar 
on  the  side  of  trout  is  an  indication  of  its  health  and  rapid 
growth,  and  is  not  uncommon  on  our  chalk  streams.  Mr. 
Clinker,  the  Manager  of  the  Lower  Chilland  Trout  Hatchery, 
Hampshire,  tells  me  that  fish  thus  distinguished  always  do 
well  in  the  spawning  season.  This,  too,  is  quite  what  we 
expect,  for  the  rather  unusual  growth  of  scales  forming  such 
a  bar  indicates  that  an  abundance  of  the  best  food  has  been 
within  reach  of  such  trout. 

Scale  Markings 

The  edges  of  the  laminae  forming  the  scales  of  a  salmon 
indicate  many  of  the  most  important  events  of  its  life — 
its  age,  its  descent  as  a  smolt  to  the  sea,  the  varying 
amounts  of  its  summer  and  winter  growths,  the  physiological 
alterations  in  its  appearance  due  to  its  ova-bearing  condition, 
its  first  spawning  visit  to  a  river,  its  return  to  the  sea,  its 
recovery  there,  and  the  fact  that  it  has  made  a  second  or 
even  third  recurrent  visit  to  fresh  waters  on  spawning  intent. 

It  is  also  supposed  that  the  decrepitation  of  a  portion  of 
the  scale  markings  proves  that  a  natural  and  successful  act 
of  spawning  has  taken  place. 

It  is  on  this  latter  question  that  I  venture  to  express  a 
doubt.  The  marking  on  the  scales  indicates  that,  owing 
to  genital  changes,  the  condition  of  the  salmon  has  altered, 
and  that  it  has  visited  fresh  water,  but  it  does  not  prove 
that  it  has  carried  out  its  life's  purpose  and  spawned  in  a 
successful  and  natural  manner.  This  difference  must  be 
regarded  as  most  important,  for  the  salmon  which  has 
spawned  successfully  may  well  be  considered  as  being 
among  the  vast  majority  of  fish  which  perish  annually,  whilst 
those  fish  whose  attempts  to  reach  a  spawning  ground  or 


266  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

to  find  a  mate  have  proved  abortive,  may  with  reason  be 
most  naturally  expected  to  be  among  those  which  will  be 
impelled  to  revisit  the  river,  and  whose  marking  will,  there- 
fore, show  a  second  or  even  a  third  period  of  scale  de- 
crepitation. 

It  is  rarely  the  case  that  a  male  fish  is  found  in  a  fresh 
run  condition  in  a  river,  showing  on  its  scales  the  decrepita- 
tion marks  of  a  former  visit  to  fresh  water.  This  means 
that  the  male  fish  is  generally  successful  in  the  attempt  to 
ascend  a  river,  and  once  having  achieved  this — the  object 
of  its  life — it  seldom,  if  ever  again,  even  if  it  survives, 
attempts   a   subsequent   spawning   visit. 

In  this  fact  probably  lies  the  explanation  of  much  that 
has  hitherto  been  regarded  a  problematical,  for  it  may  be 
that  the  male  fish,  physically  stronger,  and  physically  less 
encumbered  than  the  female  fish,  is  able  to  attain  the  object 
of  its  life  by  reaching  the  spawning  beds  in  the  upper  waters 
of  its  rivers  ;  whereas  the  late-running  female  fish,  sexually 
more  delicate  in  its  construction  and  encumbered  by  its 
ova,  is  more  liable  to  failure  in  its  initial  attempt,  and  con- 
sequently carries  on  its  scales  the  evidence  of  this  failure 
in  the  form  of  decrepitation  marks. 

The  Physiological  Changes  in  the  Condition  of 

Salmon 

The  alteration  in  the  condition  of  the  salmon  is  due  in 
the  first  place  to  the  physiological  influences  of  the  genital 
changes,  and  as  a  consequence,  to  the  loss  of  nourishment 
owing  to  non-feeding,  and  to  the  change  from  salt  water 
to  tidal  or  fresh  water. 

These  three  causes  physiologically  alter  the  condition  of 
the  fish  and  its  skin,  and  the  scales  which  are  held  therein. 
Attendant  on  this  altered  condition  the  annular  markings 
on  the  posterior  portions  of  the  scales    may    be    entirely 


THE  SCALES  OF  THE  SALMON IDiE  257 

obliterated  up  to  the  central  axis  of  the  scale,  to  a  certain 
extent  owing  to  the  physiological  changes  which  are 
associated  with  the  act  of  spawning,  but  principally  to 
the  decrepitation  which  will  occur  to  the  exposed  surfaces 
from  the  trituration  of  gravel,  rocks,  etc.,  while  the  lesser 
decrepitation  which  takes  place  in  the  markings  situated 
on  other  parts  of  the  scale — but  chiefly  in  the  lateral — 
can  only  be  due  to  the  changed  physiological  condition 
of  the  fish,  and  to  the  shrinking  of  its  girth. 

It  is  probable  that  the  discoloration,  if  not  the  direct 
decrepitation  of  its  scale  material,  is  due  to  the  absence  of 
some  element — possibly  calcareous — from  the  mucous 
matter  which  forms  and  nourishes  the  scales. 

Whatever  may  be  the  cause  of  its  absence,  the  later 
formed  laminae  of  the  scale  material  are  the  ones  to 
suffer,  more  particularly  in  the  lateral  direction.  I  think 
we  owe  to  Mr.  Calderwood  the  suggestion  that  scales  must 
suffer  in  the  hen  fish  when  the  body  shrinks  as  the  ova 
of  the  fish  is  discharged.  Now  the  fish  cannot  shrink  in 
its  length,  but  only  in  its  girth,  and  the  fact  that  the 
decrepitation  principally  occurs  in  the  lateral  substantiates 
Mr.  Calderwood's  theory. 

The  decrepitation  of  the  male  salmon's  scales  occurs  at 
a  relatively  early  date  to  that  of  the  female  fish,  and  con- 
sequently they  become  more  marked  by  the  end  of  the 
season  ;  this  is  understandable  when  it  is  remembered  the 
different  effects  which  a  spawning  condition  has  on  the 
male  and  female  salmon. 

There  does  not  appear  to  be  any  unimpeachable  evidence 
that  the  genital  changes  produce  decrepitation  of  the  scales, 
or  even  affect  the  appearance  of  the  salmon  while  in  the  sea. 
The  arousing  of  the  spawning  instincts  causes  the  fish  to 
approach  our  shores,  but  their  appetites  appear  to  be 
unaltered  until  they  enter  the  estuaries,    or  as  the  winter 

18 


258  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

months  approach ;    until  then,  the  salmon  may  continue 
to  feed  while  in  the  sea. 

Discoloured  Fish 

The  fact  that  discoloured  salmon  of  both  sexes  are  cap- 
tured in  the  sea,  does  not  prove  that  these  fish  have  so 
altered  while  there.  They  hang  about  the  estuaries,  or  in 
the  mouths  of  the  rivers — after  their  arrival  in  a  clean 
condition  from  the  sea — until  an  opportunity  offers  to  run 
up  to  the  spawning  grounds. 

A  "  fresh  run  salmon  "  if  it  means  anything,  means  a 
fish  fresh  from  the  sea ;  a  fish  ascending  from  an  estuary  into 
a  river,  unless  it  has  come  direct  from  the  sea  should  not  be 
classed  as  a  *'  fresh  run  salmon." 

Salmon  undoubtedly  make  their  way  up  the  tidal  estuaries 
of  our  rivers,  and  some  way  into  fresh  water  with  each 
recurring  tide,  and  descend  again  as  the  tide  ebbs.  This 
may  happen  daily  until  a  favourable  moment  occurs  for  the 
run  up  the  chosen  river,  but  while  they  are  awaiting  the 
chance  to  ascend  the  river,  their  appearance  and  their 
condition  undoubtedly  alters. 

It  is  far  more  natural  to  assume  that  the  fish  which 
are  now  considered  to  have  become  discoloured  in  the  sea, 
are  those  which,  after  spending  some  months  in  the  rivers 
or  estuaries,  have  become  discoloured  there,  and  have 
from  some  impelling,  because  natural,  reason  descended  to 
the  sea  and  then  lost  their  freedom  in  the  nets. 

Marked,  unspawned  fish  will  drop  down  to  the  sea,  feed, 
acquire  weight  and  return  the  same  year. 

Unspawned  salmon  have  been  captured  in  fresh  water 
and  marked,  and  have  thereafter  gone  down  to  the  sea,  put 
on  from  one  to  two  and  a  half  pounds  in  weight,  and  after 
from  thirty  to  forty  days  have  elapsed,  these  fish  have  been 
recaptured. 


THE  SCALES  OF  THE  SALMON  ID^  259 

It  is  a  recognized  fact  that  kelts,  whether  completely 
spent  or  partially  spent,  will  remain  as  kelts  for  many 
months,  and  will  as  such,  re-ascend  their  own  or  other 
rivers  from  three  to  five  months  after  being  marked. 

I  gather  from  a  recent  letter  to  the  Fishing  Gazette 
(pages  591-2,  December  27th,  1913)  that  Mr.  J.  Arthur 
Hutton  considers  that  the  wearing  or  disintegration  of  the 
scales  is  not  necessarily  due  to  the  act  of  spawning,  nor  to 
its  continuation  in  fresh  water,  but  that  it  can  take  place  in 
the  sea  as  well  as  in  the  river. 

I  am  perfectly  prepared  to  accept  the  view  advanced 
by  Mr.  Hutton  that  disintegration  of  the  scale  of  a  hen  fish 
may  precede  the  act  of  spawning — but  if  it  be  so,  how  can 
such  decrepitation  be  regarded  as  the  sign  manual  of  spawning. 

That  the  scale  of  a  male  fish  may  become  worn  prior 
to  spawning  is  a  recognized  fact,  and  from  Mr.  Hutton's 
dictum  I  have  no  doubt  that,  at  any  rate  to  a  modified 
extent,  decrepitation  is  shown  on  the  scales  of  a  female  fish 
prior  to  its  spawning. 

In  order  that  this  popular  point  of  view  as  stated  by  Mr. 
Hutton,  cannot  be  misunderstood,  I  venture  to  quote  from 
his  letter  mentioned  above  : 

"  As  regards  the  question  put  by  your  salmon- 
angling  friend  as  to  late  autumn  fish  which  rush 
into  the  river  to  spawn  and  back  again,  there  is 
a  paper  of  mine  coming  out  shortly  in  the 
Salmon  and  Trout  Magazine  on  this  subject ;  and 
as  a  matter  of  fact  the  wearing  of  the  scale  does  not 
take  place  solely  in  fresh  water,  and  fish  do  get,  as 
some  know,  absolutely  red  and  discoloured  in  the 
sea.  In  other  words  the  wearing  of  the  scales  is  not 
due  to  the  fish  being  in  fresh  water  but  is  largely 
caused  by  the  building  up  of  the  genital  organs. 
It  will  therefore  be  evident  that  a  late  run  fish 
might  have  scales  as  disintegrated  as  one  that  had 
entered  the  river  much  earlier." 


260  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

I  think  Mr.  Hutton  is  relying  on  the  experience  he  has 
gained  by  the  investigation  of  salmon  caught  in  the  Wye 
and  its  estuary,  which  latter  ends  as  it  enters  the  estuary  of 
the  Severn.  I  do  not  think  that  every  salmon  captured 
outside  the  estuary  of  the  Wye,  can  be  definitely  proved  to 
be  Wye  salmon,  as  both  Severn  and  Usk  fish  are  to  be 
found  anywhere  between  Beachley  and  the  New  Passage. 
Even  if  all  the  fish  captured  in  this  water  were  fish  on  their 
way  to  the  Wye  estuary,  they  can  only  be  considered  as 
being  estuary  fish.  This  suggestion  may  tend  to  modify 
the  views  that  fish  can  become  discoloured  and  exhibit 
spawning  marks  in  the  sea  before  entering  the  waters  of  our 
estuaries. 

The  Estuary  of  the  Severn 

The  estuary  of  the  Severn  can  hardly  be  regarded  as  the 
sea.  A  line  drawn  from  Portishead  across  to  Llandaff 
can,  however,  be  considered  as  enclosing  to  the  east  the 
estuary  of  the  Severn,  into  which,  besides  the  Severn,  are 
emptied  the  waters  of  the  Wye,  the  Avon,  the  Usk,  etc., 
while  salmon  rivers,  such  as  the  Taff,  the  Towey,  the  Parret, 
the  Tawe,  etc.,  contribute  a  certain  proportion  of  their 
salmon  to  this  estuary.  No  fish  caught  in  the  nets  to  the 
east  of  this  line  can,  with  certainty,  be  regarded  as  being  more 
than  estuary  fish,  i.e.,  fish  which  may  have  been  some  time 
in  the  estuary,  or  as  having,  perhaps,  been  in  the  lower 
portion  of  any  of  the  above  mentioned  rivers.  When 
therefore,  they  are  caught  above  this  line,  and  found  to  be 
discoloured,  I  think  it  may  be  regarded  as  probable  that 
this  discoloration  has  taken  place  either  in  the  main  estuary  or 
in  some  part  of  the  above  mentioned  rivers.  Anyhow,  being 
caught  in  this  estuary,  does  not  prove  that  they  have  come 
straight  in  from  the  sea — unless  they  are  in  an  absolutely 
fresh  run  condition  and  bright  and  silvery  in  appearance. 


THE  SCALES  OF  THE  SALMON  ID^  261 

It  is  a  known  fact  that  in  the  Tay  estuary,  salmon  hang 
about  the  sand  banks  and  gradually  become  discoloured  long 
before  they  attempt  to  ascend  the  river,  but  no  one  calls  the 
estuary,  in  which  they  stay,  the  sea.  Data,  therefore,  as 
to  the  condition  of  salmon  captured  in  the  estuaries  of  our 
rivers,  is  of  no  particular  value  as  proving  what  their 
condition  was  when  leaving  the  sea. 

The  Wye 

From  an  intimate  knowledge  of  the  Wye  I  should  infer 
that  of  all  rivers  it  is  the  most  unreliable  one  from  which 
to  draw  general  deductions — at  least  so  far  as  regards  the 
fish  captured  below  Tintem.  This  river  differs  from  others 
in  that  it  not  only  has  a  tidal  estuary  of  its  own,  but  that 
this  again  enters  a  much  larger  estuary,  into  which  latter 
estuary  other  salmon  rivers  empty  themselves. 

In  the  case  of  the  Wye,  the  fish  captured  below  Tintern, 
even  if  they  are  not  fish  which  have  tried  to  run  up  the 
Towey,  the  Tawe,  the  Taff,  the  Usk,  and  gradually 
approached  and  run  up  the  estuary  of  the  Severn,  until 
they  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Wye,  might  well  have 
attained  a  discoloured  or  advanced  spawning  condition  in 
the  Severn  estuary  itself,  in  which  they  may  have  been 
lingering  for  some  time  since  leaving  the  sea. 

Icelandic  Rivers 

Icelandic  rivers,  for  the  reverse  reason,  may  be  regarded  as 
suppl5^ng  much  sounder  data  as  to  the  condition  of  fish 
fresh  from  salt  water,  and  it  is  therefore  advisable  to  note 
the  evidence  on  this  point  by  Dr.  Dahl.  He  says,  in  his 
report  on  the  Icelandic  Salmon  (1913),  which  report  is 
based  upon  the  scales  taken  from  fish  caught  in  or  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Ellidaa,  Hvita,  Olfusa,  and  the  Haffjordara 
Rivers  : — 


262  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

"  When  the  salmon  comes  from  the  sea,  its  scales 
are  quite  unaffected  (only  one  exception  is  men- 
tioned) but  the  longer  it  remains  in  the  river,  the 
more  do  its  scales  become  affected." 

Can  anything  be  more  directly  opposed  to  the  theory  that 
decrepitation  and  discoloration  takes  place  in  the  sea, 
prior  to  a  fish  entering  an  estuary  or  river  on  its  spawning 
journey  up  stream  ? 

The  fact  that  the  material  examined  by  Dr.  Dahl  con- 
sisted of  nearly  3,500  fish,  gives  great  weight  to  any  opinion 
expressed  by  him. 

A  consideration  of  the  entrance  of  the  Icelandic  rivers 
above  mentioned,  on  the  one  hand,  and  rivers  such  as  the 
Wye  and  the  Tay  on  the  other,  show  that  the  value  of  the 
Icelandic  deductions  on  that  particular  point  should  be  con- 
sidered as  important,  while  the  value  of  such  investigation, 
when  based  on  the  fish  caught  in  the  Wye  estuary,  the 
estuary  of  the  Severn,  or  indeed  in  the  upper  portion  of  the 
Bristol  Channel,  cannot  be  so  considered.  In  the  case  of 
the  Wye  and  Tay,  their  estuaries,  or  the  estuaries  into  which 
their  waters  run,  are  of  very  considerable  length,  and  are 
besides  fed  by  other  salmon  rivers,  and  in  these  respects 
they  are  totally  different  from  the  Icelandic  rivers  men- 
tioned, which  have  either  no  estuaries  or  very  small  ones, 
and  flow  almost  directly  into  the  sea. 

One  of  the  reasons  which  are  given  as  evidence  that  fish 
become  discoloured,  etc.,  in  the  sea,  is  that  later  in  the  season 
fresh  run  fish,  discoloured  fish  and  discoloured  fish  with  sea 
lice  on  them,  are  found  running  up  the  river  together. 

This  is  only  of  importance  when  it  is  noticed  in  the  lower 
reaches  of  the  river,  and  when  it  is  evident  that  all  these 
three  classes  of  fish  must  have  come  either  from  the  estuary 
of  the  river  or  direct  from  the  sea,  but  it  is  no  evidence  that 
the  discoloured  ones  have  acquired  their  colour  while  in  the 


THE  SCALES  OF  THE  SALMON  IDiE  263 

sea.  Fish  become  discoloured  in  the  estuary  and  while 
waiting  for  a  chance  to  run  up  stream.  They  become  dis- 
coloured when  they  have  run  up  stream,  and  from  whence 
they  often  drop  back  to  the  estuary  or  to  the  sea  itself, 
and  both  the  discoloured  fish  which  have  dropped  back  to 
the  estuary  water  or  to  the  sea,  and  those  which  have 
acquired  their  discoloration  only  in  the  estuary  water  will 
take  the  first,  and  very  often  the  same  opportunity  of 
running  up  their  river  as  will  the  fresh  run  fish  coming  in 
directly  from  the  sea. 

I  am  afraid  that  it  really  comes  to  this — that  a  salmon, 
however  little  it  may  be  discoloured  when  taken  on  a 
coast  line,  or  even  at  some  distance  from  fresh  water, 
cannot  clear  itself  from  the  suspicion  of  having  previously 
been  philandering  up  some  of  the  adjacent  rivers,  and  of 
having  become  discoloured  in  these  waters. 

In  addition  to  scale  evidence,  the  ventral  organs — the 
porus  genitalis — will  within  a  certain  period,  after  the  ova 
has  been  shed,  bear  evidence  as  to  the  shedding,  but  not  as 
to  the  circumstances  connected  with  the  occurrence. 

Scale  markings  will  undoubtedly  be  more  or  less  defined 
in  proportion  to  the  time  the  fish  has  been  in  fresh  water, 
and  therefore  it  is  not  likely  that  any  two  salmon  would 
exhibit  the  same  amount  of  decrepitation. 

Decrepitation  will,  to  a  very  great  extent,  occur  after 
spawning — or  the  passing  of  the  ova — has  actually  taken 
place,  as  the  fish  certainly  do  not  perish  at  once,  and  sub- 
sequently frequently  exist  for  some  time  in  the  river,  in  a 
weak  and  emaciated  condition  ;  therefore  the  decrepitation 
of  their  scales  would  naturally  still  be  going  on. 

This  important  fact  cannot  be  disproved,  but  unfor- 
tunately it  again  weakens  the  contention  of  those  who 
maintain  that  there  is  a  distinct  spawning  mark  always 
recognizable  on  fish  which  have  spawned — and  by  spawning 


264  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

I  mean  fish  which  have  spawned  under  natural  and  favour- 
able circumstances — for  the  decrepitation  is  undoubtedly 
due,  in  the  latter  case,  not  to  the  act  of  spawning,  but  to  the 
condition  of  the  fish  after  spawning,  and  would  be  equally 
noticeable  on  a  fish  whose  ova  had  been  passed  under  less 
favourable  circumstances. 

When  discussing  the  question  with  Mr.  C.  Tate  Regan,  M.  A., 
of  the  British  Museum,  Cromwell  Road,*  he  pointed  out  that 
my  theories  led  to  an  issue  which  precluded  any  definite 
knowledge  being  arrived  at  from  scale  records  as  to  whether 
a  salmon  had  ever  legitimately  spawned,  and  therefore 
it  might  be  argued  that  a  fish  had  never  spawned.  I  had  to 
acknowledge  that  this  was  exactly  the  point  at  which 
I  had  arrived,  and  that  I  considered  that  the  scale  markings 
only  prove  that  the  salmon  has  left  salt  water  and  has 
developed  and  discharged  its  ova,  and  were  it  not  for  the 
fact  that  we  see  salmon  spawning,  the  scales  would  do 
nothing  more  than  confirm  the  opinion  that  the  salmon  had 
in  some  manner  vented  its  spawn ;  thus  leaving  us  unable 
— without  further  proof  of  this  fact — to  determine  the 
difference  between  a  salmon  that  has  achieved  its  life's 
purpose,  and  one  which  has  failed  to  do  so  ;  and  until  this 
point  is  settled,  the  lately  developed  school  of  research  on 
scale  marking  is  unfortunately  prevented  from  basing  its 
deductions  on  an  exact  science. 

A  migratory  bird,  whose  eggs  or  young  brood  are 
destroyed,  may  nest  and  breed  again  the  same  year,  but  if 
the  bird  has  once  successfully  reared  its  young,  it  has  not 
been  proved  to  have  nested  again  during  the  same  season. 
Salmon  are  a  much  lower  order  in  the  ranks  of  the  migratory 
vertebrates,  and  their  life's  duties  probably  cease  when  they 
have  deposited  their  eggs  in  the  act  of  spawning.  If 
prevented    from    carrying    out    this    duty,    they    may  be 

*  Author  of  British  Fresh  Water  Fish. 


THE  SCALES  OF  THE  SALMONID.E  265 

expected  in  any  after  season  to  again  attempt  to  carry  out 
their  life's  work.  H  salmon  were  intended  for  a  recurrent 
act  of  spawning,  I  take  it  that  in  those  rivers  easy  of  access 
such  as  the  Wye,  more  so-called  double  and  treble  spawners 
would  be  taken.  But  it  will  be  found  that  it  is  on 
the  scales  of  the  salmon  belonging  to  the  rivers  which  are 
the  most  difficult  to  ascend  that  the  greater  number  of  the 
so-called  spawning  marks  will  found  to  be  recurrent. 
(See  Mr.  Menzie's  report  on  the  Add  Salmon,  see  p.  275-276.) 

The  Respective  Influences  of  Salt  and  Fresh 
Water  on  Salmon 

At  no  time  in  its  life  is  the  salmon  in  such  good  condition 
as  during  its  sojourn  in  salt  water,  but  this  condition  begins 
to  alter  directly  it  enters  the  estuary  or  the  waters  of  the 
river  up  which  it  wishes  to  run,  and  the  longer  its  stay  there 
the  greater  will  be  the  attendant  change  in  its  appearance. 
It  neither  feeds  nor  grows,  neither  retains  nor  recovers  its  best 
condition  while  in  fresh  water.  It  is  not  in  every  river  that 
any  number  of  so-called  well  mended  kelts  are  to  be  found. 

If  it  were  possible  for  salmon  to  remain  in  fresh  water, 
their  scales  would  possibly  lose  their  resiliency,  and,  becom- 
ing more  pliable,  would  be  absorbed  in  the  epidermis,  and 
the  colouring  of  the  fish  would  gradually  assume  character- 
istic markings  such  as  those  which  are  common  to  the  skin 
of  fish  like  the  Ouananiche,*  the  Huchen,  etc. 

The  bodies  of  salmon  parr  and  trout  are  wanting  in  cal- 
careous substance,  more  so  perhaps  than  any  other  forms 
of  the  teleostei,  and  it  is  not  until  the  salmon  reaches  the 
sea  that  Nature  provides  calcareous  matter  in    sufficient 

*  This  fish  is  supposed  to  be  descended  from  land-locked  salmon,  but  it  has 
not  yet  been  proved  that  a  true  salmon  will  continue  to  breed  if  prevented 
from  visiting  salt  water.  Like  the  Huchen  of  Eastern  Europe,  it  is  possible 
that  these  fish  are  descendants  of  a  hybrid  between  a  salmon  and  some  other 
fish.  It  has  been  proved  that  certain  of  the  hybrids  of  salmon  can  live, 
flourish  and  breed  without  a  visit  to  salt  water. 


266  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

quantities  for  its  full  development.  In  the  abundant 
larder  at  its  disposal  in  the  salt  water  the  crustacean 
figures  largely,  and  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  it  is  from 
such  food  that  its  body  as  well  as  its  skeleton,  is  increased 
so  prodigiously.* 

The  Question 

Is  it  the  salmon  which  has  successfully  spawned  once, 
regained  its  condition,  and  developed  a  fresh  batch  of  ova, 
that  is  once  again  able  to  spawn  ? — or  is  it  only  the  salmon 
that  has  failed  in  its  attempts  to  spawn  in  a  natural 
manner,  which  re-attempts  in  some  following  season,  with 
a  new  batch  of  ova,  the  difficult  and  dangerous  ascent 
to  the  spawning  ground  ? 

At  present  the  signs  of  irregular  decrepitation  having 
destroyed  a  certain  number  of  the  concentric  markings  on 
the  former  edge  of  a  scale,  are  considered  by  some  of  the 
men  to  whom  we  owe  most  of  our  present  knowledge,  to 
indicate  that  the  salmon  to  which  the  scale  belonged  has 
spawned.  While  fully  recognizing  the  great  value  of  their 
patient  investigations  in  this  new  study,  as  I  said  before, 
I  yet  venture  to  think  that  such  data  fails  to  prove  more 
than  the  fact  that  the  salmon  has  undergone  genital  changes, 
entered  fresh  water,  and  approached  a  spawning  condition, 
but  not  that  it  has  found  a  mate,  and  spawned  under 
favourable  circumstances. 

The  importance  of  determining  this  question  must  be 
evident  if  scale  reading  is  to  form  an  exact  datum  on  which 

*  Calcium  salts,  i.e.,  lime  salts,  form  a  not  inconsiderable  portion  of  the 
scales  of  a  salmon.  Miss  Esdaile,  who  has  devoted  so  much  time  to  this 
subject,  has  been  kind  enough  to  criticise  some  portion  of  this  chapter,  and 
still  further  added  to  her  kindness  by  writing  to  the  author,  on  the  gth 
February,  191 4,  as  follows  : — 

"  When  the  calcium  has  been  removed  the  scale  appears  to  be 
unchanged  in  shape  and  size,  its  markings  are  still  clearly  visible,  and 
the  unevenness  of  the  surface  of  the  scale  is  still  to  be  felt." 
This  indicates  that  while  scale  matter  is  composed  partly  of  lime  salts, 
other  materials  go  to  form  the  base  of  its  structure. 


THE  SCALES   OF  THE  SALMON ID.E  267 

to  base  further  deductive  analysis,  not  only  with  regard  to 
the  distinction  of  biological  types  of  salmon,  but  as  to  the 
life  history  of  any  member  of  any  one  such  type. 

To  deposit  its  eggs,  when,  and  as  a  result  of,  being  sexually 
excited,  can  be  the  only  correct  meaning  of  the  word 
spawning,  but  to  expel,  or  discharge  its  ova  under  any  other 
circumstances  cannot  be  so  considered. 

It  has  been  claimed  that  a  salmon  in  captivity  has  been 
twice  artificially  spawned.  Even  if  this  be  so,  it  does  not 
prove  that  such  a  fish  would  have  spawned  even  once 
naturally.  It  only  proves  that  ova  can  be  developed  and 
shed,  and  a  spawning  condition  again  arrived  at,  with 
which  probabiUty  I  quite  agree.* 

No  individual  male  or  female  salmon  has  been  seen  to 
spawn  in  a  natural  manner,  has  been  then  captured  and 
marked,  and  found  to  revisit  the  spawning  beds  and  again 
spawn,    and  until  such  a   definite  and   decisive    proof   is 

*  Since  the  above  was  written  I  have  received  a  very  interesting  letter 

from  Mr.  Hutcheon,  Manager  of  the  Tugnet  Hatchery,  in  answer  to  enquiries 

from  myself — as  follows  : — 

"  Dear  Sir, — The  salmon  which  you  refer  to  was  kept  in  the  rearing 
ponds,  and  was  a  male  fish.  He  was  two  feet  long  and  weighed 
four-and-a-half  pounds  when  at  his  best.  He  spawned  twice  to  my 
knowledge,  and  might  have  done  so  a  third  time,  as  I  have  seen  milt 
running  from  parr  two  years  old.  During  the  time  I  had  him,  he 
began  to  change  his  colour  about  the  months  of  August  and  September, 
and  got  very  dark  red  about  the  months  of  March  and  April.  He 
again  changed  his  colour  and  got  quite  clear,  as  bright  as  though  he 
had  come  from  the  sea. 

"  I  had  another  fish — a  female — which  I  kept  five  years.  When 
she  was  three  years  old,  I  took  the  ova  from  her  in  the  month  of 
January,  but  as  I  had  not  a  male  fish  at  the  time  it  was  lost.  Next 
season  I  spawned  her  and  impregnated  the  ova  with  a  male  fish  of 
forty  pounds,  laid  the  ova  in  the  hatchery,  and  it  hatched  out  all  right, 
the  only  difference  being  that  the  ova  was  white  instead  of  red. 

"  During  the  alevin  stage  there  was  no  difference  from  the  rest 

alongside  them  in  the  rearing  ponds.       I  took  them  down  to  the 

hatchery  and  fed  them,  when  they  were  turned  out  into  the  river." 

The  above  letter  is  important,  for  it  proves  that  a  male  fish  will  vent  its 

milt  when  unaccompanied  by  a  hen  fish,  and  that  this  condition  is  even 

noticed  in  the  parr  before  it  has  visited  salt  water. 

With  regard  to  the  hen  fish,  this  corroborates  the  other  well-known  incident 

which  occurred  I  think  at  Plymouth,  but  in  neither  case  do  these  instances 

prove  that  either  a  male  or  a  hen  fish  will  spawn  naturally,  and  from  sexual 

inducement,  on  more  than  one  occasion. 


268  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

produced,  the  question — so  far  as  the  so-called  spawning 
marks  are  concerned — must  remain  unsettled.  Many 
salmon  are  captured,  whose  appearance  proves  that  their 
ova  has  been  matured  and  then  discharged,  and  a  few 
of  these  marked  fish  have  been  subsequently  recaptured 
on  their  way  up  stream  in  a  spawning  condition,  but 
the  fact  that  its  ova  has  been  discharged  does  not 
prove  by  any  means  that  the  natural  act  of  spawning 
has  taken   place. 

Salmon  meet  with  tremendous  difficulties  in  their 
endeavour  to  reach  the  spawning  grounds  to  which  their 
instincts  compel  them,  and  should  they  fail,  as  they  so  often 
do,  I  think  it  not  improbable  that  the  true  spawning  of  the 
fish  may  be  prevented,  that  probably  discharge  or  possibly 
absorption  of  the  ova  or  milt  takes  place,  and  that  a  further 
attempt  to  spawn  will  naturally  be  made  by  the  fish  in  the 
next  or  some  following  season. 

It  is  stated  that  salmon  have  been  seen  to  discharge  their 
ova  immediately  after  entering  fresh  water,  but  the  con- 
ditions and  circumstances  of  their  life  preceding  this  act  are 
unknown.  They  may  of  course  be  late  run  fish,  which 
have  been  unable  to  reach  their  river  until  fully  ripe,  and 
unable  any  longer  to  carry  their  ova ;  or  they  may  have  been 
in  fresh  water  for  many  months  prior  to  such  an  action 
and  been  compelled  to  descend  to  the  sea,  and  have  re- 
entered the  river  when  in  a  condition  ripe  for  spawning,  but 
being  too  late  to  run  up,  and  unable  any  longer  to  hold 
their  ova,  they  have  vented  it.  It  may  be  safely  assumed 
that  in  most  of  such  cases,  the  discharge  of  the  ova  is 
unavoidable,  the  fish  being  unable  to  carry  its  eggs  any 
longer.  It  may  be  probable  that  the  attendant  actions 
are  purely  instinctive,  and  that  in  many  cases  the  ova  will 
be  simply  discharged  without  any  attempt  being  made  to 
construct  a  redd  or  to  find  a  mate,  and  there  can  be  little 


THE  SCALES  OF  THE  SALMON  ID.E  269 

doubt  but  that  many  such  discharges  occur  in  the  deeper 
parts  of  the  river  beyond  the  ken  of  man. 

The  Ova  of  Salmon 

The  ova  of  the  salmon  is  developed  in  capsules  in  its 
ovary,  and  when  mature  these  capsules  rupture  and  drop 
the  ova  in  a  more  or  less  adhesive  and  uniform  mass  into 
the  abdominal  cavity  (not,  of  course,  into  the  stomach  or 
any  part  of  the  alimentary  channels) .  From  there  the  ova, 
when  ripe,  passes  through  two  short  oviducts  and  is  vented 
by  the  porus  genitalis,  situated  between  the  anus  and  renal 
apertures.  Should  the  ova  not  be  discharged  in  the  natural 
act  of  spawning,  it  is  probable  that  after  a  period  of  retention 
it  will  eventually  pass  away  through  the  oviducts  and  thence 
by  the  porus  genitahs,  and  for  a  time  leave  recognizable 
evidence  of  a  passage  of  ova  such  as  that  which  takes  place 
in  spawning. 

It  is  not  impossible  that  "  rawners  "  may  be  classed  as 
being  in  this  latter  condition,  and  that  the  compact  form 
in  which  their  ova  has  been  held  is  broken  up  and  the  ova 
subsequently  vented. 

Mr.  Hutton  and  the  Spawning  Mark 

I  think  that  everyone  admits  the  care  and  attention  which 
Mr.  Hutton  has  given  to  the  question  of  the  examination  of 
salmon  scales,  and  that  we  all  owe  him  thanks  for  the  work 
he  has  done,  but  as  I  go  to  press,  I  notice  in  the  latest  number 
of  the  Fishing  Gazette,  December  27th,  1913,  he  says,  in  a 
letter  on  page  592  : — 

"  The  Salmon  and  Trout  Association  are  pubhshing 
a  paper  dealing  with  the  question  in  their  December 
Magazine,  which  I  think  will  prove  that  no  matter 
how  late  a  fish  may  be  in  entering  a  river  to  propagate 
its  species,  and  no  matter  how  short  a  time  it  may 


270  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

remain  in  fresh  water,  an  indelible  '  spawning  mark  ' 
is  certain  to  be  imprinted  on  its  scales."* 

Mr.  Hutton  claims  that  the  spawning  marks  are  shown  on 
the  scales  of  a  salmon,  no  matter  how  late  the  fish  enters  a 
river,  or  how  short  a  time  it  may  remain  in  fresh  water 
before  spawning.  If  then  a  salmon  ripe  for  spawning  were 
captured  in  the  estuary  of  a  river  before  it  had  spawned, 
it  would  carry  markings  on  its  scales,  which  would  prove, 
according  to  Mr.  Hutton,  that  it  had  already  spawned. 

Evidently  some  other  physiological  evidence,  or  some 
more  practical  proof,  must  be  adduced  before  it  can  be 
accepted  that  such  markings  are  sufficient  to  certify  that 
such  a  fish  has  spawned. 

Again,  if,  instead  of  being  captured  or  killed,  it  was 
wounded  in  such  a  manner  as  not  only  to  prevent  its 
spawning,  but  to  force  its  return  to  salt  water,  such  a  fish, 
if  it  eventually  recovered,  would  bear  these  spawning 
marks,  and  whatever  might  have  been  the  after-fate  of  the 
ova  it  had  failed  to  spawn,  it  would — impelled  by  its 
instinct — probably  return  at  a  future  season  to  spawn, 
and  thereon,  if  captured,  would  be  considered  to  be  a  fish 
spawning  for  the  second  time. 

Notwithstanding  the  attention  which  has  been  given  to 
this  subject,  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  this  problem  is 
one  which  has  not  so  far  been  definitely  solved.  As  Mr. 
Malloch  says  : — 

"  Anglers  are  often  in  doubt  as  to  whether  the  fish 
they  have  caught  are  clean  or  not  (i.e.,  have  spawned 
or  not),  and  this  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  as  those 
who  are  constantly  among  them  sometimes  make 
mistakes  when  judging  from  outward  appearance 
only." 

*  This  opinion  is,  however,  opposed  to  that  of  Dr.  Masterman,  who  says, 
"  that  a  large  number  of  grilse  which  enter  a  river  late  in  the  season  become 
kelts,  but  do  not  become  labelled  with  a  definite  spawning  mark. 


THE  SCALES  OF  THE  SALMON ID^E  271 

The  Varying  Number  of  Rings  on  a  Scale 

The  consideration  of  this  subject  would  not  be  complete 
without  a  reference  to  the  var5dng  numbers  of  the  annular 
markings  which  occur  on  the  scales  of  a  salmon  during  each 
summer  and  winter  sojourn  in  salt  water,  and  also  as  to  the 
number  of  bands  added  to  the  scale  after  each  series  of 
so-called  **  spawning  marks." 

It  has  been  suggested  by  Mr.  Malloch,  that  the  number  of 
annular  rings  added  to  a  salmon  scale  for  each  year  of  its 
life  is  sixteen.  This  estimate  seems  approximately  borne 
out  by  the  scales  put  forward  as  evidence  by  Mr.  Malloch 
in  his  excellently  illustrated  book  "  The  Life  History  and 
Habits  of  the  Salmon." 

But  while  any  such  particular  estimate  might  perhaps  be 
true  as  regards  the  salmon  of  any  one  river,  or  indeed  of  any 
one  district,  yet  from  the  scales  I  have  examined  I  feel 
assured  that  such  a  thing  cannot  be  accepted  as  having  a 
general  application. 

This  however  is  certain,  that  when  once  decrepitations 
have  destroyed  the  smooth  and  characteristic  edges  of  the 
scale  of  a  virgin  fish,  it  will  be  impossible  to  estimate 
how  many  of  such  concentric  markings  have  been  destroyed. 
Further,  it  will  be  impossible  for  a  correct  estimate  of  the 
exact  number  of  months  which  a  salmon  has  spent  in  salt 
water  between  any  two  succeeding  conditions  of  spawning 
to  be  made  from  scale  markings — that  is,  when  once  the 
second  series  of  decrepitations  have  been  effected — for  it 
will  here  again  be  impossible  to  tell  how  many  or  how 
few  of  the  latest  added  concentric  markings  have  been 
obliterated. 

The  number  of  rings  which  are  seen  between  the  two 
series  of  so-called  "spawning  marks"  in  Plate  XXX.,  does 
not  definitely  indicate  the  proportion  of  time  which  was  spent 
in  salt  water  between  the  spawning  seasons,  because  we 


272  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

cannot  calculate  how  many  of  these  rings  have  been 
destroyed   during  the  last   decrepitations. 

At  A  in  this  plate  it  appears  that  only  five  such  rings 
had  been  added,  but  at  B  we  can  see,  if  we  follow  the  rings 
round  the  scale,  that  at  least  twelve  others  must  have  been 
built  on  the  outside  ring  of  this  series  of  five,  and  that  there- 
fore twelve  such  rings  must  have  been  denuded  beyond  the 
outer  of  the  five  rings  at  A  by  decrepitations.  In  certain 
scales  where  the  decrepitation  on  the  outer  rings  has  been 
excessive  and  irregular,  the  new  markings  which  are  added 
to  the  scale  as  the  salmon  recovers  its  condition  are  no 
longer  concentric  to  the  former  annular  markings,  or  to  the 
nucleus  ;  they  at  first  appear  to  fill  up  the  deeper  decrepita- 
tion, and  then  to  be  continued  as  annular  bands  concentric 
to  one  another,  and  roughly  speaking,  to  the  centre  portion 
of  the  scale.     See  C,  Plate  XXX. 

As  I  have  already  suggested,  the  scales  are  added  to  only 
in  reply  to  the  requirements  of  nature. 

The  varying  number  of  rings  which  are  formed  between 
the  decrepitation  of  any  one  season,  and  between  either  a 
recurrent  visit  on  spawning  intent,  or  between  a  subsequent 
decrepitation,  must  frequently  preclude  any  definite 
conclusion  being  formed,  other  than  that  Nature  will  create 
just  as  many  rings  and  of  just  so  great  a  width  as  is  necessary 
to  cover  and  protect  the  uncovered  area  of  the  skin  as 
condition  is  regained  and  additional  growth  attained. 

Referring  again  to  Plate  XXX.,  the  decrepitations  on 
this  scale  at  A  clearly  establish  the  fact  that  the  salmon  had 
reached  a  spawning  condition,  and  had  probably  been  for 
some  time  in  fresh  water.  Assuming  then  that  this  salmon 
had  spawned,  or  otherwise  discharged  its  ova  for  the  first 
time  in  January  or  February  of  any  year,  and  that  it  had 
descended  to  the  sea  in  April  or  May,  had  recovered,  and  had, 
as  shown  by  the  decrepitation,  again  spawned  or  discharged 


PLATE    XXX. 


A  34  LB.  Hex  Spring  Fish,  Norway,  May  2ist,    1909. 

At  A  it  shows  5  annular  rings  added  after  its  first  spawning  visit,  other 
and  outer  rings  having  possibly  been  denuded  away. 

At  B  it  shows  17  or  18  additional  rings  added  for  the  same  period. 

At  C  it  shows  the  irregular  manner  in  which  the  annular  additions  are 
added  to  the  scales. 

The  sixteen  ring  theory  seems  to  be  contradicted  by  this  scale. 

The  smooth  outside  edge  of  a  fresh  run  fish  is  well  shown.  This  scale 
also  shows  the  irregular  character  of  denudation,  which  accompanies  and 
follows  a  spawning  visit. 

Photographed  and  enlarged  by  Mr.  J.  Arthur  Hutton. 


THE  SCALES  OF  THE  SALMON IDiE  273 

its  ova  during  the  following  spawning  season,  then  only 
a  relative  proportion  of  the  assumed  sixteen  fresh  annual 
markings  could  possibly  have  occurred.  But  if  we  count 
the  number  of  rings  at  B,  we  shall  find  no  less  than  sixteen 
have  been  added,  though  the  salmon  cannot  possibly  have 
been  in  the  sea  more  than  eight  months,  and  therefore  the 
theory  of  sixteen  rings  is  not  appUcable  in  this  case.  The 
salmon  cannot  have  spawned  in  January,  reached  the  sea 
in  April,  run  up  in  time  to  spawn  again  in  the  winter,  and 
have  spent  more  than  eight  months  in  the  sea.  Yet  in- 
adequate as  this  time  may  seem.  Nature  is  a  very  rapid 
architect,  and  there  is  no  other  probable  deduction  to  be 
drawn  from  this  scale  if  its  markings  are  to  be  reUed  on, 
other  than  that  the  fish  has  discharged  its  ova  twice  in 
twelve  months,  some  four  months  of  which  must  have  been 
spent  in  fresh  water. 

The  irregular  manner  in  which  these  decrepitations  eat 
up  or  destroy  the  concentric  markings  will  be  noticed  in  the 
scales  shown  on  Plate  XXX. 

The  scale  shown  in  Plate  XXXL — kindly  sent  to  me 
by  Mr.  Hutton — is  in  my  opinion  most  instructive.  Mr. 
Hutton  has  marked  on  the  photo  that  it  is  *'  a  hen  spring  fish 
of  thirty-four  pounds  weight,  caught  on  April  26th,  1909," 
and  that  '*it  has  spawned  once."  To  me  it  appears  that 
the  date  of  this  first  spawning  condition,  or  the  passing  of 
its  ova,  must  have  been  at  least  fourteen  or  fifteen  months 
prior  to  the  date  of  its  being  killed.  The  size  and  number 
of  the  new  concentric  markings  show  that  they  cannot  have 
been  added  to  the  scales  since  the  more  recent  spawning 
season,  and  their  growth  has  been  strictly  in  proportion  to 
the  increasing  bulk  of  the  fish. 

This  scale  also  shows  that  the  salmon's  condition  was 
perfect  at  the  time  it  was  captured,  for  no  decrepitation  has 
yet  taken  place  in  the  outer  edge  of  the  scale  which  is  smooth 

10 


274  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

and  rounded,  and  also  we  may  assume  from  this  fact  that 
probably  this  fish  has  but  recently  entered  the  river.  It 
shows  that  had  this  fish  not  been  captured  it  would  have 
spawned  or  attempted  to  spawn  in  the  following  season, 
i.e,,  winter  of  the  year  in  which  it  was  captured.  It  also 
shows  that  the  bands  added  to  the  scale  after  decrepitation 
has  occurred  do  not  invariably  show  a  falling  off  in  size 
during  the  winter  season  but  that  even  on  the  same  scale 
their  size,  as  well  as  their  number,  varies  considerably 
during  this  period. 

An  Examination  of  a  Salmon's  Scale,  Plate  XXXI. 

Taking  the  scale  at  A,  we  find  that  the  bands  added  since 
the  last  decrepitations  are  evenly  graduated  in  size — the 
large  bands  for  the  feeding  and  the  smaller  ones  for  the 
fasting  period,  and  also  that  they  are  in  number  approaching 
the  sixteen-ring  theory. 

Taking  the  same  scale  at  B,  we  find  the  same  number  of 
rings,  but  all  small  and  of  a  similar  size. 

Taking  the  same  scale  at  C,  we  find  about  sixteen  additional 
rings,  but  very  Httle  evidence  of  a  cessation  of  feeding. 

Taking  the  scale  at  D,  we  find  ten  such  rings  at  the  most, 
and  no  evidence  of  cessation  of  feeding  until  we  reach  the 
extreme  edge. 

Taking  the  scale  at  E,  we  find  ten  rings  have  been  added, 
all  of  them  being  about  equal  in  size. 

These  variations  in  the  number  at  least  of  the  added 
scale  bands,  cannot  be  due  to  decrepitation,  for  the  smooth 
outer  edge  of  the  scale  shows  that  no  denudation  has  taken 
place. 

Again,  if  the  reader  will  count  the  markings  between  the 
third  and  fourth  year,  he  will  see  that,  instead  of  sixteen 
rings,  over  thirty  rings  have  been  added,  though  between 
them  and  the  time  the  fish  became  a  kelt  there  are  only 


PLATE    XXXI. 


7th    VR. 


5th  &  6tm    YR. 


A  34  LB.   Wye  Salmon — Hen  Fish — April  26th,    1909. 

This  scale  shows  how  variable  in  size  and  number  are  the  annular  rings 
added  to  the  scale,  after  decrepitation  has  occurred. 

(a)  about  16  rings  graduated  in  size. 

(b)  about  the  same  number,  all  small. 

(c)  about  18  large  and  small  rings. 

(d)  about  9  large  rings. 

(e)  ten  large  rings  have  been  added. 

The  scale  at  the  period  of  its  third  year  appears  to  have  been  decrepitated 
at  its  anterior    edge.        Mark   the   large    size    of  the    bands   which  have 

followed. 

Photographed  and  marked  to  the  right  by  Mr.  J.  Arthur  Hutton . 
Magnified  about  12^  diameters. 


THE  SCALES  OF  THE  SALMON  IDiE  275 

eighteen  fresh  rings  to  be  counted.  As  no  one,  however, 
can  possibly  tell  how  many  rings  were  lost  during  the  first 
decrepitation,  the  exact  age  of  the  salmon  is  indeterminate. 

Mr.  Hutton  notes  on  this  photo  that  the  decrepitation  at 
"kelt  "  marks  the  fifth  and  sixth  years  of  this  salmon's  Hfe, 
and,  appreciating  his  exhaustive  examination  of  this  subject, 
I  should  be  incUned  to  believe  in  his  estimate,  but  the  scale 
markings  cannot  be  said  to  prove  this. 

The  decrepitations  have  effaced  two  thirds  of  all  the 
annular  rings  of  the  scale  beyond  the  fourth  year's  markings, 
and  if  the  remaining  third  portion  of  these  rings  had  been 
also  obliterated,  there  would  have  been  no  indication  beyond 
the  size  and  weight  of  the  fish  to  indicate  the  fifth  and  sixth 
year  of  the  salmon's  life,  and  the  scale  would  have  appeared 
somewhat  as  the  scale  shown  in  Plate  XXVIIIb. 

If  this  scale  is  examined  it  appears  to  have  belonged 
to  a  fish  which  has  had  its  scales  decrepitated  by  previous 
spawning  conditions  in  its  fourth  year,  and  that  it  is  again 
running  up  in  an  attempt  to  reach  the  spawning  grounds  ; 
but  from  its  weight  and  the  appearance  of  the  scales  it  may 
well  be  a  five-year-old  fish,  i.e.,  a  fish  which  has  spent  three 
years  in  the  sea,  whose  fifth  year's  annular  markings  have 
been  entirely  lost  through  decrepitation,  just  as  the  others 
have  been  over  two-thirds  of  their  extent  on  Plate  XXXL 

From  this  scale,  and  from  many  others  I  have  examined,  it 
appears  to  me  that  at  any  time  after  the  outside  edge  of  the  rings 
of  a  virgin  fish  have  been  destroyed,  a  considerable  uncertainty 
must  exist  in  correctly  determiningthe  later  history  of  ^the  fish. 

The  Scales  of  Salmon  from  the  River  Add 
A  paper  recently  pubhshed  (1913)  by  the  Fishery  Board 
for  Scotland,  entitled  *'  The  Scales  of  Salmon  of  the  River 
Add,"  by  Mr.  W.  J.  M.  Menzies,  has  been  referred  to  by 
several  writers  as  an  "  extremely  interesting  paper." 


276  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

I  quite  agree  with  these  writers  that  the  paper  is  extremely 
interesting,  but  only  as  showing  the  remarkable  difference 
which  exists  between  data  taken  from  two  different  salmon 
rivers  in  Great  Britain,  and  not  as  proving  that  salmon 
spawn  more  than  once  in  their  lifetime. 

From  the  scales  of  eighty-five  kelts  taken  from  the  River 
Add  in  1912  and  1913,  and  supplied  by  Mr.  Calderwood  to 
Mr.  Menzies,  the  latter  gentleman  reports  that : — 

"  Of  the  1 913  catch  no  less  than  52 J  per  cent,  were 
on  their  second  or  subsequent  return.*' 
As  these  fish  were  kelts,  this  is  taken  by  Mr.  Menzies  to 
show   that   these  fish   had   spawned   twice.     Mr.    Menzies 
goes  on  : — 

*'  Of  the  twenty-eight  fish  of  which  this  can  be  said 
.     .     .     three  of  these  were  in  fresh  water  for  the 
purpose  of  propagating  their  species  for  the  third  time, 
while  the  scales  of  two  others  show  three  spawning 
marks,  and  as  they  were  kelts  when  caught,  these 
two   fish,    weighing    10 J    and    11   lbs.    respectively, 
had  spawned  four  times  and  still  survive,  after  thus 
aiding  in  a  most  material  way  and  to   a   hitherto 
unsuspected  extent  the  continuance  of  their  race." 
Briefly  this  report  of  Mr.  Menzies  claims  that  from  the 
scales  of  some  fifty-five  kelts  netted  in  the  river  Add  during 
the  spring  months  of  1913,  and  examined  by  him, 
28  kelts  had  spawned  twice, 
3         „         „         ,,         three  times, 
2         ,,         ,,         „         four  times. 
Mr.  Hutton  has,  I  beheve,  examined  the  scales  taken  from 
some  4,000  Wye  salmon,  and  of  these  he  claims  that 
nearly  300  had  spawned  twice,  and 

1     ,,  ,,  three  times ; 

so  that  while  52J  per  cent,  of  the  Add  kelts  had  spawned 
twice,  according  to  Mr.  Menzies,  only  7J  per  cent,  of  the 
Wye  salmon,  according  to  Mr.  Hutton,  had  already  spawned 


THE  SCALES  OF  THE  SALMONID^E  277 

before,  and,  if  they  had  not  been  captured,  would  have 
spawned  for  the  second  time. 

But  the  difference  is  still  more  remarkable  when  we  come 
to  compare  the  relative  proportion  of  the  fish  which  are 
said  to  have  spawned  three  or  more  times. 

Mr.  Menzies  finds  that  out  of  these  fifty-five  kelt  salmon 
caught  in  the  Add  in  1913,  five  had  spawned  three  times. 

Mr.  Hutton,  however,  can  only  claim  one  out  of  the  4,000 
or  more  Wye  salmon  whose  scales  he  has  examined,  as  having 
spawned  three  times,  so  that  the  relative  proportion  of  fish 
said  to  have  spawned  three  times  in  the  Add  and  in  the 
Wye  respectively,  are  as  1  to  363. 

From  this  it  must  be  evident  that  if  Mr.  Menzies  had 
examined  the  scales  of  4,000  kelt  fish  from  the  Add,  he 
would,  if  his  report  can  be  said  to  represent  the  normal 
yearly  condition  of  the  spawning  fish  in  the  Add,  have  been 
able  to  report  the  discovery  of  no  less  than  363  fish  who  had 
spawned  three  times  at  least. 

The  Add  and  the  Wye 

This  shows  the  vast  difference  which  exists  between  the 
salmon  in  the  Add  and  Wye  Rivers.  It  is  of  importance 
to  remember,  that  while  the  scales  examined  by  Mr.  Menzies 
were  taken  from  kelts,  those  used  as  data  by  Mr.  Hutton 
were  taken  from  both  clean  and  unclean  fish. 

The  differences  between  the  Rivers  Wye  and  Add  are  as 
follows  :— The  Wye  is  one  of  the  longest  rivers  in  Great 
Britain,  and  it  is  one  of  the  easiest  for  a  salmon  to 'ascend 
in  order  to  reach  its  spawning  beds,  whereas  the  Add  is  one 
of  the  shortest  rivers  in  Great  Britain,  and,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  lower  water,  in  which  I  beheve  salmon  do  not 
spawn,  it  is  one  of  the  most  difficult  rivers  to  ascend.  Again, 
the  Wye  is  a  river  up  which  salmon  may  run  every  month 
in  the  year,  whereas  the  Add  is  one  in  which  the  run  of 


278  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

fish  does  not  begin  until  July,  the  rod  fishing  coming  to  an 
end  at  the  end  of  October. 


Mr.  Gathorne-Hardy 

Referring  to  the  Hon.  A.  E.  Gathorne-Hardy's  charming 
and  interesting  contribution,  "  The  Salmon,"  to  the  very 
excellent  series,  '*  Fur,  Feather,  and  Fin "  (Longmans 
&  Co.),  this  gentleman  says  with  reference  to  the  River 
Add:— 

"  The  Httle  river  that  I  know  best,  having  fished  it 
regularly  for  the  best  part  of  a  quarter  of  a  century, 
is  the  Add,  which  rises  in  the  hills  near  Loch  Fyne, 
and,  after  a  short  but  rapid  course  through  gorges 
and  over  rocks,  descends  into  the  plain,  and  for  the  last 
few  miles  of  its  career  meanders  slowly  through  the 
partially  reclaimed  peat  moss  which  fills  the  valley 
opposite  Crinan  Bay,  into  which  it  ultimately 
discharges  its  waters  close  to  the  western  outlet  of 
the  Crinan  Canal.  The  lower  part  of  the  river  winds 
round  and  round  through  the  soft  soil,  the  curves 
being  so  sharp  that  a  straight  line  of  about  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  in  length  would  cross  the  river  three  times. 
The  stream  has  cut  itself  a  deep  channel  through  the 
peat,  and  the  banks  are  high  above  the  water,  protect- 
ing it  from  the  wind,  which,  as  the  current  is  naturally 
sluggish,  is  very  necessary  for  successful  fishing, 
except  immediately  after  a  heavy  flood.  The  river, 
like  all  small  West  Highland  streams,  rises  and  falls 
with  extreme  rapidity,  and  the  upper  part  of  the  water 
is  only  really  in  order  for  one  day  after  a  flood,  and  the 
lower  for  two — the  first  day  being  usually  the  best." 
From  Mr.  Gathorne-Hardy's  description,  it  will  be  seen 
that  this  river  may  be  divided  into  two  portions,  the  lower 
part  being  sluggish  and  therefore  unsuitable  for  spawning 
beds,  and  the  upper  part  offering  extreme  difficulties  to 
ascending  salmon. 


THE  SCALES  OF  THE  SALMON  IDiE  279 

No  information  is  given  in  Mr.  Menzies'  report  as  to  the 
part  of  the  river  in  which  the  fifty-five  salmon  were  caught 
in  1 913,  but  we  may  assume  they  were  taken  at  the  mouth 
of  the  river.  There  is  absolutely  no  evidence  that  a  single 
one  of  these  fish  had  ever  spawned  in  a  natural  manner, 
that  is  during  sexual  excitement,  and  there  is  not  even  any 
evidence  that  any  one  of  them  had  ascended  the  more  rapid 
portion  of  the  river  to  their  spawning  beds,  and  though  we 
know  that  every  season  some  salmon  must  be  successful  in 
ascending  and  spawning,  there  is  no  evidence  to  prove  that 
any  of  them  were  among  those  whose  scales  were  examined 
by  Mr.  Menzies,  i.e.,  that  any  of  those  which  were  successful 
survived  the  act  of  spawning. 

In  answer  to  a  question  of  mine,  Mr.  Gathorne-Hardy 
has  been  kind  enough  to  supplement  the  extract  just  given 
as  follows  : — 

"  But  I  know  that  the  fish  run  up  to  the  rapids  at 
the  top,  and  to  the  tributary,  to  spawn,  and  that 
they  ascend  during  a  spate.  They  do  not  spawn  in 
the  sluggish  part." 

Such  a  report,  however,  as  that  made  by  Mr.  Menzies, 
tends  to  confirm  the  supposition  that  salmon  repeat  the 
operation  of  spawning,  and  is  used  for  this  purpose  by  those 
who  believe  that  salmon  spawn  two  or  three  times. 

There  has  not  been,  so  far  as  I  can  gather  up  to  the 
present,  any  definite  and  conclusive  proof  that  salmon  do 
spawn  more  than  once,  and  until  such  evidence  is  produced, 
I  consider  it  safer  to  believe  that  the  repetition  of  these 
so-called  "  spawning  marks  "  found  more  or  less  on  the  scales 
of  salmon  will  depend  to  a  considerable  extent  on  the 
characteristics  of  the  rivers  themselves,  and  that  where  the 
river  partakes  of  the  nature  of  the  Add  the  spawning 
marks  will  be  found  to  be  frequently  recurrent.  My  reasons 
for  thinking  this  are  as  follows  : — 


280  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

In  the  case  of  the  Add  there  will  be  a  far  greater  per- 
centage of  fish  which  will  find  it  impossible  to  ascend  to  the 
spawning  grounds — than  on  the  Wye  for  instance — and 
they  will  hang  about  in  the  sluggish  parts  of  the  river, 
discolouration  and  decrepitation  going  on  during  this  stay, 
and  finally,  if  unable  to  ascend  the  river  to  spawn,  will 
discharge  their  ova  and  return  to  the  sea  ;  some  of  them, 
such  as  those  from  which  the  scales  were  taken  in  Mr. 
Menzies'  report,  being  captured  in  the  nets,  presumably  at 
the  mouth  of  the  river.  These  fish,  with  their  instincts  to 
spawn  unsatisfied,  will  in  the  following  season  again  seek 
this  river,  and  so  on  until  they  have  spawned  satisfactorily, 
adding  with  each  visit  the  decrepitation  marks  which  are 
now  considered  to  represent  the  act  of  spawning. 

The  River  Awe 

In  another  report : — "  Fishery  Board  for  Scotland, 
Salmon  Fisheries,  1911,  No.  1,"  Mr.  W.  J.  M.  Menzies,  after 
examining  the  scales  of  258  summer  fish  sent  to  him  by 
Mr.  Calderwood,  gives  the  following  table  : — 


Spey 
Forth 

District. 

No. 
examined. 
106 
97 

No.  with 

one  spawning 

mark. 

6 

8 

Percent 
age. 

6.6 
8 

Awe 

•  .                 •  . 

45 

13 

9 

Kyle  of  Sutherland 

6 

0 

0 

Sol  way 

. . 

4 

0 

0 

258  27  10.46 

None  have  more  than  one  spawning  mark, 
and  goes  on  : — 

"  Whilst  the  figures  of  the  Spey  and  Forth  confirm 
the  results  hitherto  obtained  in  these  and  certain 
other  rivers  in  Scotland,  those  of  the  Awe  show  a 
very  much  greater  percentage  of  fish  that  have 
previously  spawned." 


THE  SCALES  OF  THE  SALMON  IDiE  281 

The  remarkable  number  of  fish  with  a  previous  so-called 
"  spawning  mark  "  coming  from  the  Awe,  led  me  to  believe 
that  similar  characteristics  to  those  of  the  river  Add  would 
be  found  to  exist  in  the  river  Awe,  but  not  knowing  the  latter 
I  wrote  to  Mr.  H.  T.  Sheringham,  the  Editor  of  the  Field, 
as  to  its  nature.  He  was  kind  enough  in  reply  to  inform 
me  that  the  Awe  is  one  of  the  roughest  rivers  in  Scotland. 
This  information,  as  I  anticipated,  lends  additional  weight 
to  my  arguments  ;  for  it  shows  that  in  those  rivers  which 
salmon  have  great  difficulty  in  ascending,  such  as  the  Add 
and  the  Awe,  a  very  much  larger  proportion  of  the  salmon 
will  be  found  with  the  marks  which  are  believed  by  a  great 
many  people  to  denote  a  previous  act  of  spawning. 

Now  it  must  be  evident  that  if  a  recurrent  act  of  spawning 
does  take  place,  it  would  occur  most  often  in  those  rivers, 
the  ascent  of  which  is  most  easy,  whereas  it  will  be  seen  by 
these  figures  that  exactly  the  opposite  condition  of  affairs 
takes  place. 

On  the  same  report  is  appended  a  note  from  Mr.  Calder- 
wood,  who  has  examined  the  scales  of  twenty-five  spring 
salmon,  i.e.,  from  the  Awe,  of  which  four  had  spawned 
previously,  three  of  these  being  fresh  run  fish,  and  the  others 
kelts,  the  percentage  of  the  total  of  these  twenty-five  fish 
which  carried  a  spawning  mark  thus  being  about  twenty-five 
per  cent.,  while  the  percentage  of  the  kelts  carrying  a 
spawning  mark  is  about  4.5. 

Synopsis 
From  the  foregoing  matter  it  will  be  recognized  that  I 
by  no  means  infer  that  Nature  does  not  reproduce  ova  in  a 
female  and  milt  in  a  male  salmon,  but  I  see  no  evidence  which 
proves  that  the  instincts  of  a  salmon  prompt  it  to  spawn 
again  after  having  once  spawned  under  favourable  circum- 
stances and  in  a  natural  manner. 


282  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

It  will  not  be  amiss  to  recapitulate  some  of  the  evidence 
on  which  these  opinions  are  based,  viz.  : — 

Salmon  reared  in  tanks  and  artificially  spawned  do  not 
show  the  so-called  "  spawning  marks." 

Milt  maybe  noticed  running  from  two  years  old  male  parr. 

Fish  are  caught  in  the  nets  during  March,  April,  and  May, 
which  are  known  as  "  half  spent  "  fish.  They  are  dis- 
coloured, and  their  scales  show  the  so-called  "  spawning 
marks."  The  general  explanation  given  for  this  condition 
of  these  fish  is  that  the  spawning  operations  have  been 
interfered  with  by  frost,  ice,  etc.,  etc.  While  such  an 
interference  might  occur  especially  in  the  upper  and  more 
shallow  portions  of  a  river,  innumerable  other  spawning 
grounds  would  be  encountered  by  the  mating  fish  during 
their  down  stream  progress,  and  there  would  be  many 
opportunities  for  a  resumption  of  the  spawning  efforts  by 
a  pair  of  salmon  after  being  thus  disturbed,  before  they 
reach  the  nets.  It  is  much  more  natural  to  suppose  that  the 
majority,  if  not  all,  of  these  half-spent  fish  are  ones,  which, 
not  being  able  to  reach  the  spawning  beds,  or  to  find  a  mate, 
have  begun  to  discharge  the  ova  with  which  they  were  cum- 
bered, and  that  this  process  was  still  going  on  when  they  were 
taken  in  the  nets ;  that  these  fish  would  all  be  found  with 
the  so-called  "spawning  marks,"  and  on  a  return  visit  would 
therefore  be  treated  as  fish  which  had  previously  spawned. 

Many  spent  fish,  when  migrating  from  river  to  sea,  are 
quite  clear  (i.e.,  not  discoloured),  and  only  to  be  distinguished 
from  clean  fish  by  their  lanky  appearance.  These  fish  are 
probably  salmon  late  run,  which  have  discharged  their  ova 
shortly  after  leaving  the  sea,  and  been  captured  before  a 
discoloured  condition  has  occurred. 

Dr.  Masterman  states  that  a  large  number  of  grilse  which 
enter  the  river  late  in  the  season  become  kelts,  but  do  not 
become  labelled  with  a  definite  spawning  mark. 


THE  SCALES  OF  THE  SALMON  IDiE  283 

Spawned  fish  without  discoloration  are  caught  in  the 
nets,  as  they  descend  to  the  sea,  up  to  May.  Unspawned, 
but  discoloured  and  emaciated  fish,  with  ova  not  fully 
developed,  are  caught  with  the  kelts,  which  are  descending 
in  the  spring.  These  fish  also  exhibit  decrepitation  marks 
on  their  scales. 

Salmon  die  in  very  great  quantities,  and  it  is  doubtful 
if  one  salmon  in  every  fifty,  which  dies  after  spawning,  is 
recorded  or  even  seen,  as  they  are  carried  downstream  to 
the  sea  on  the  winter  and  spring  floods. 

Injured  and  unspawned  fish  with  the  scale  marks  and 
having  all  the  appearance  of  a  stay  in  fresh  water,  are 
captured  both  in  the  fixed  and  drag  nets,  but  it  can  be 
assumed  that  these  fish  are  on  their  way  to  effect  recovery 
in  the  sea.  Many  persons  question  the  belief  that  salmon 
when  injured  return  to  the  sea. 

Mr.  Calderwood,  kindly  answering  some  questions  by  the 
author,  says  in  a  letter,  22nd  December,  1913  : — 

**  A  female  salmon  which  has  not  found  a  mate, 
even  a  trout,  and  has  not  therefore  shed  her  eggs, 
remains  in  fresh  water  for  a  considerable  time." 
And  Mr.  Calderwood  further  considers  it  likely  that  many  of 
the  ova  will  be  shed,  and  that  the  remainder  will  be  absorbed, 
but,  as  he  says,  *'  this  is  a  supposition."  The  supposition 
is  in  this  case  of  course  the  absorption  of  the  ova.  It  is 
quite  natural  to  infer  that  many  fish  return  to  the  sea  as 
spent  fish,  without  having  spawned  in  a  natural  and 
satisfactory  manner. 

Professor  Sidney  J.  Hickson,  of  Manchester  University,  can 
see  no  reason ' '  why  the  two  oviducts  should  not  pass  the  separ- 
ated ova  after  disintegration  as  well  as  in  the  natural  way," 
that  is  to  say,  shed  the  ova  if  spawning  does  not  occur. 

Many  netters  report  the  capture  of  half  spent  and 
discoloured  fish  in  their  nets  during  April  and  May,  and 


284  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

therefore  I  consider  a  large  number  of  salmon  find  their 
way  to  the  sea  carrying  the  so-called  **  spawning  marks  " 
on  their  scales,  but  which  have  not  yet  spawned,  and  who 
will,  if  they  survive,  imbued  with  the  strongest  of  all  their 
instincts — that  of  the  reproduction  of  their  species — 
probably  revisit  their  river  in  the  following  season. 

So-called  "  well-mended  kelts  "  are  found  in  a  river  after 
the  spawning  season,  yet  we  have  no  positive  evidence  as 
to  what  these  fish  are,  or  what  has  really  happened  to  them. 
If  they  are  late  run  fish  which  have  spawned,  or  otherwise 
passed  their  ova,  their  clean  appearance  will  not  cf  necessity 
be  due  to  recovery,  but  will  most  probably  be  due  to  the 
fact  that  little  decrepitation  and  little  outward  alteration 
has  taken  place  in  the  scales  or  to  the  fish  through  the 
physiological  changes  of  spawning  during  the  short  time  they 
have  been  in  fresh  water.  Owing  to  the  colder  and  healthier 
conditions  of  river  water  in  the  winter  months,  a  late  run 
fish  would  possibly  show  less  signs  of  deterioration  of 
condition  for  each  month  of  its  stay  in  fresh  water  than  a 
salmon  which  had  entered  the  river  as  a  summer  fish  and 
encountered  the  more  relaxing  and  less  healthy  condition 
of  the  river  during  the  summer  months. 

Many  observers  agree  that  it  is  difficult  at  times  to 
decide  whether  a  fish  has  been  in  fresh  water  before  or  not. 
The  majority  of  the  scales,  however,  which  are  produced  as 
evidence  that  a  salmon  has  already  spawned  on  more  than 
one  occasion,  show  a  very  considerable  deterioration,  both 
on  the  lateral  and  on  the  posterior  sides  of  the  scales. 

But  in  "  The  Life  History  and  Habits  of  the  Salmon/' 
Mr.  Malloch  says  : 

"  Many  of  the  latter  (late  run  fish)  are  so  short  a 
time  in  fresh  water  before  spawning  and  returning 
to  the  sea,  that  very  little  damage  occurs  to  the 
scales.     When  they  appear  in  the  river  again  it  is. 


THE  SCALES  OF  THE  SALMON  IDiE  285 

therefore,   sometimes  difficult  to  tell  whether  they 
have  been  in  fresh  water  before  or  not." 

We  cannot  be  far  wrong  in  assuming,  therefore,  that  a 
fish,  whether  it  has  spawned  naturally  or  not,  having  once 
discharged  its  ova,  will — if  it  be  destined  to  recover — drop 
down  to  the  renovating  influences  of  salt  water,  and  will  in 
most  cases  carry  some  convicting  evidence  in  the  nature  of 
scale  marks  denoting  a  past  spawning  condition.* 

From  these  data  and  from  my  own  observation,  I  consider : 

1.  That  unless  circumstances  are  favourable,  and  some 
fish  of  the  male  sex  adjacent,  the  female  fish  will  not  spawn 
in  a  natural  manner. 

2.  That  a  hen  fish  has  the  power  and  the  organs  for 
venting  its  ova  should  it  not  spawn  properly. 

3.  That  should  it  survive  this  abortive  ejection  of  its 
ova,  it  will  probably  revisit  its  river  on  spawning  intent. 

4.  That  though  there  may  be  indelible  signs  on  the  scales, 
and,  for  a  time,  in  the  condition  of  the  porus  genitalis,  which 
respectively  indicate,  first — that  a  spawning  condition  has 
approached,  and  secondly,  that  the  passing  of  the  ova 
through  the  genital  passage  has  occurred,  these  signs  do  not 
necessarily  imply  that  the  ova  has  been  deliberately  deposited 
during  sexual  excitement. 

5.  A  male  salmon  will  eject  its  milt  even  before  attaining 
the  smolt  stage,  and  without  the  presence  of  a  hen  fish. 

*  The  first  impulse  of  a  wounded  salmon — presumably  impelled  by  instinct — 
is  to  descend  to  salt  water  to  recover  from  its  injuries. 

Why,  then,  if  a  salmon  spawns  on  more  than  one  occasion,  is  not  the  kelt 
imbued  with  the  same  instinct  and  similarly  impelled  to  descend  at  once  to 
the  sea  in  order  to  recover  its  condition  and  again  continue  its  functions  as  a 
producer  of  its  own  species  ?  It  can  hardly  be  that  it  hangs  about  in  fresh 
water  because  it  recalls  the  dangers  which  it  has  encountered  in  its  passage 
from  the  sea,  and  fears  in  its  weakened  condition  to  face  them  again,  because 
any  danger  must  appear  greater  the  more  confined  the  waters  of  the  river, 
in  which  it  lingers  for  some  unexplained  reason.  The  answer  to  this  question 
must  be,  that  apparently  no  instinct  or  desire  impels  it  to  seek  to  recover  its 
condition  in  order  to  spawn  again,  when  once  those  spawning  operations 
have  been  successfully  accomplished. 


286  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

6.  The  sex  characteristics  are  interestingly  illustrated 
in  the  life  of  the  salmon.  The  male  fish  appears  to  enjoy  a 
very  lively  time,  partly  occupied  by  a  mixture  of  love  and 
fighting,  and  to  be  somewhat  indifferent  to  the  more  serious 
duty  of  life.  The  female  fish,  however,  intuitively  endowed 
with  those  instincts  which  lead  to  the  preservation  of  species, 
remains  unsatisfied  until  this  duty  is  accomplished,  i.e. 
until  it  has  been  able  to  spawn  under  the  happiest  natural 
conditions,  and  after  having  secured  as  far  as  possible 
the  future  safety  of  its  ova.  The  male  fish  even  if  he  fails 
in  his  initial  attempt,  rarely,  if  ever,  re-attempts  the 
arduous  run  up  a  river  to  the  spawning  beds,  but  the  female, 
impelled  by  a  higher  instinct,  will  return  again  and  again 
until  it  has  satisfactorily  achieved  its  life's  purpose. 

7.  That  so  long  as  the  markings  or  decrepitations  on  the 
scales  are  uncorroborated  by  evidence  of  natural  spawning, 
it  cannot  be  logically  adduced  that  a  salmon  spawns,  i.e., 
spawns  in  a  natural  way,  more  than  once  in  its  lifetime. 

8.  From  these  and  from  the  other  facts  and  deductions 
which  I  have  advanced  in  this  chapter,  I  think  it  will  be 
recognized  that  salmon  have  not  so  far  been  proved  to 
spawn  on  more  than  one  occasion. 

I  have  only  to  add  that  in  order  to  corroborate  the 
conclusions  I  had  formed — as  expressed  above — I  thought 
it  advisable  to  write  to  many  of  the  most  experienced  of  those 
in  control  of  the  salmon  netting  operations  at  the  mouths  of 
our  big  rivers,  and  in  nearly  every  case  I  have  to  acknowledge 
their  great  courtesy  and  kindness  in  answering  fully  the 
somewhat  lengthy  series  of  questions  which  I  propounded. 


CHAPTER     XV 
MATTERS    CONNECTED    WITH    FISHING    FOR    SALMON 

Non-rising  fish — Stoning  a  pool — ^Entering  fresh  pools — ^The  Wye  cast 
and  how  to  fish  it — A  sagging  line — Sinking  the  fly — Harling — 
Presenting  the  lure  to  the  salmon — ^The  rise  of  the  salmon — Gafi&ng 
— Renting  a  fishing  water. 

It  may  occur  to  the  reader  that  if  salmon,  while  in  fresh 
water,  be  actuated  by  an  instinctive  impulse  to  destroy  all 
the  possible  enemies  to  their  future  young,  they  but  too 
frequently  display  a  considerable  disinclination  to  respond 
to  this  call,  and  the  lures  with  which  he  endeavours  to 
awaken  them  to  this  duty,  and  incidentally  to  effect  their 
capture,  are,  as  a  consequence,  disregarded. 

There  are,  however,  several  circumstances  which  may 
explain  this  apparent  lapse  of  duty  on  the  part  of  the 
salmon.  In  the  first  place,  it  is  certain  that  salmon  are  not 
exempt  from  the  natural  laws  which  affect  all  living  creatures. 
They  require  rest,  and  for  this  reason  alone  it  is  little  wonder 
that  they  may  at  times  neglect  the  instincts  of  hunger  or 
destruction — whichever  they  may  be — though  perfectly 
conscious  of  the  presence  of  the  moving  life  around  them. 

In  the  second  place,  it  can  hardly  be  supposed  that  they 
are  lacking  in  the  wisdom  which  teaches  the  majority  of 
created  beings  to  avoid  objects  which  have  occasioned  them 
pain,  and  which  threaten  danger. 

In  the  third  place,  those  inhabitants  of  our  rivers  and 
seas  comprised  in  the  families  which  are  attacked  by 
salmon,  although  progressing  in  a  variety  of  different  ways, 
are  yet  affected  by  the  natural  phenomena  of  the  currents 

287 


288  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

which  they  have  to  encounter,  and  it  is  assumable  that 
salmon  will  naturally  avoid  meddling  with  moving  objects 
which  do  not  conform  to  certain  laws  of  progression  through 
the  element  in  which  they  travel. 

Salmon  may  be  roused  from  their  inactivity  at  times  by 
disturbing  the  pools  in  which  they  lie.  Flies  and  lures  can 
be  altered  to  colours  and  varieties  which  may  not  recall  to 
the  salmon  previous  unpleasant  experiences,  and  a  variety 
of  different  casts  may  be  made,  which  may  cause  the  lures 
presented  by  the  fisherman  to  the  salmon  to  assume  a  more 
lifelike  appearance  and  progress  through  the  water.  It 
cannot,  therefore,  be  too  strongly  urged  upon  him  who 
would  be  successful  that  a  constant  change  in  the  methods  of 
fishing  any  pool  may  be  advisable,  and  a  frequent  change  of 
flies  desirable  when  the  salmon  are  not  taking  well.  While 
dealing  with  this  aspect  of  salmon  fishing  it  is  by  no  means 
a  bad  plan  for  the  fisherman  to  fish  up  and  across  stream 
if  no  success  can  be  obtained  by  the  ordinary  method,  in 
which  case  the  line  must  be  drawn  through  the  water  by 
reeling  in,  lifting  the  rod,  or  moving  the  point  down-stream. 
I  would  go  still  further,  and  advise  the  fisherman  to  make 
occasional  casts  as  with  a  dry  fly.  I  have  hooked  salmon 
on  the  Test  with  a  May-fly,  and  my  experience  is  by  no 
means  uncommon.  Salmon  frequently  take  the  March 
Brown  when  fished  wet,  and  I  believe  they  would  do  so 
were  a  fly  similar  in  make  and  size  to  a  May-fly  fished  on  a 
fine  single  gut  cast  :  the  colours  of  the  dressing  of  such 
flies  might  vary. 

Stoning  a  Pool 

Salmon,  like  all  other  fish,  mistrust  a  moving  object 
outside  the  water,  but  seem  to  exhibit  a  curiosity  when 
smaller  objects,  such  as  spinning-bait,  stones,  moving 
leaves,  flies,  etc.,  enter  their  pool.     Stoning  a  pool  frequently 


FISHING  FOR  SALMON  289 

results  in  the  salmon,  as  fishermen  say,  "  coming  on  the 
feed,"  so  long  as  no  one  on  the  bank  is  visible  to  them. 

The  salmon  see  the  air  bubbles  made  by  the  bait  or  the 
stones,  feel  the  vibration  of  the  water,  or  perchance  hear 
in  their  own  way  the  noise  of  the  stone  falling  on  the  pebbles 
under  water,  and,  although  they  may  have  appeared  dull 
and  listless  at  the  time,  they  frequently  become  alert  and 
excited,  and  at  once  attack  the  first  moving  object  they 
see — apparently  imbued  with  an  instinctive  desire  to  destroy 
the  possible  enemies  of  their  future  young — and  to  which 
they  may  reasonably  impute  the  disturbance  in  the  water. 
To  watch  salmon  in  a  pool  is  an  easy  matter  if  the  right  spot 
is  selected,  and  if  the  spectator  approach  with  the  greatest 
caution  and  remain  apparently  immovable  and  as  much 
concealed  as  is  possible. 

A  fisherman  when  wading  does  not  appear  to  frighten 
fish  so  greatly  as  when  he  is  standing  on  the  bank.  Salmon 
have  followed  my  spinning  lure,  and  taken  it,  close  to  my 
rod  point,  when  I  have  been  wading.  For  this  reason, 
therefore,  when  playing  a  salmon  from  the  bank,  it  is 
advisable  to  keep  as  low  down  as  possible. 

When  Entering  Fresh  Pools 

It  has  been  repeatedly  noticed  that  when  salmon  are 
running  up  a  river  they  display  considerable  activity  for 
two  or  three  days  after  reaching  any  fresh  pool.  This 
cannot  be  due  to  an  appetite  forgotten  during  the  final  days 
of  their  stay  in  the  lower  pool,  and  resuscitated  in  response 
to  the  exertion  of  reaching  the  new  water,  because  the  run 
between  these  pools  has  on  several  occasions  been  par- 
ticularly noticed,  and  it  has  not  been  of  such  a  character 
as  to  exhaust  the  fish,  and  create  a  temporary  demand  for 
food.  As  a  more  likely  explanation,  it  may  be  assumed 
that  their  instinctive  desire  to  destroy  the  possible  enemies 

20 


290  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

of  their  young  may  be  brought  into  renewed  activity  by 
their  new  surroundings,  and  when  they  find  that  they  have 
demolished  the  river  life  in  the  new  pool  they  will  be 
naturally  suspicious  as  to  any  fresh  moving  objects  which 
they  see,  especially  if  there  has  been  no  alteration  in  the 
water,  such  as  a  spate,  etc.  Salmon  which  have  apparently 
ceased  to  take  will,  after  a  spate  occurs  and  when  the 
water  is  going  down,  commence  to  "  feed."  This,  again, 
can  hardly  be  due  to  the  reaction  attendant  upon  exhaustion, 
for  the  salmon  have  left  the  more  rapid  portions  of  the 
stream  during  the  spate,  and  will  have  been  resting  in  the 
less  troubled  back-waters  of  the  river.  It  will  most  pro- 
bably be  due  to  the  fact  that  they  become  aware  of  the  fresh 
forms  of  life  brought  down  by  the  spate,  which  they  feel 
impelled  to  destroy,  and  consequently  a  spate  may  for 
this  reason  occasion  their  renewed  activity. 

The  Wye  Cast     A  General  Suggestion  as  to  how 
TO  Fish  out  a  Cast 

One  cannot  describe  any  particular  method  of  fishing  out 
a  salmon  pool  which  could,  under  every  circumstance, 
meet  with  unqualified  approval.  The  attendant  and  ever- 
var5dng  factors  associated  with  each  day,  with  each  river 
and  each  pool,  must  affect  the  method  of  casting  and 
fishing,  and  this  problem  should  therefore  be  considered  by 
the  waterside,  and  such  a  method  of  *'  fishing  the  fly  '* 
adopted  as  to  bring  your  lure  most  naturally  to  the  notice 
of  a  salmon,  whose  exact  position,  it  must  be  remembered, 
is  most  often  uncertain.  No  one  method  will  suit  every 
condition  of  the  river,  or  will  prove  the  most  effective  style 
of  killing  fish.  Your  judgment  must  tell  you  how  and 
when  to  cast,  when  to  fish  near  the  surface,  or  when  to  let 
your  line  sink  deeply  in  the  water,  whether  to  work  your 
fly  little  or  much,  or  whether  to  keep  it  perfectly  still  as  it 


FISHING  FOR  SALMON  291 

slips  through  the  water — your  rod  merely  following  the  line 
down  stream  and  round  toward  your  own  bank. 

The  following  general  method  of  fishing  out  a  cast  will 
I  think  meet  with  approval. 

It  must  be  remembered  that,  except  in  clear  and  shallow 
water,  especially  toward  the  end  of  a  season  when  the  fish  are 
naturally  shy,  the  rod  point  should  be  kept  well  down  as  the 
cast  is  fished  out,  as  shown  in  Plate  XXXVIII.  The  lower 
the  rod  is  held  the  deeper  the  lure  will  sink  and  the  less  it  will 
be  seen,  and  therefore  the  greater  will  be  the  chance  of  your 
getting  a  fish.  In  fine  clear  weather,  in  summer  time,  and 
in  shallow  water,  fishing  the  fly  toward  the  surface  can  be 
adopted  with  perhaps  greater  chance  of  success,  and  even 
— as  mentioned  elsewhere — dry  fly  tactics  may  be  resorted  to. 

The  angle  at  which  the  fly  must  be  cast,  and  at  which  the 
line  should  fall  on  the  water — as  regards  the  stream — should 
vary  at  nearly  every  cast,  and  though  the  variation  between 
each  cast  may  be  a  small  one,  yet  it  is  certain  that  a  judicious 
consideration  of  the  exact  spot  at  which  your  fly  should  fall 
will  tend  not  only  to  successful  fishing,  but  it  will  add  en- 
joyment and  interest  to  each  cast.  It  is  the  assured  feeling 
that  salmon  must  be  in  the  pool  you  are  fishing  which  leads 
up  to  the  interesting  consideration  of  just  how  and  where 
they  are  lying,  so  as  to  bring  the  fly — not  the  line — most 
surely  and  quickly  to  their  notice. 

In  approaching  any  salmon  pool  it  is  well  to  remember 
that  salmon  are  gifted  with  sight,  and  to  believe  that  they  are 
as  keenly  alert  and  equally  as  shy  as  trout ;  also  that  any 
part  of  a  run  entering  a  salmon  pool  may  carry  a  fish. 

We  will  assume  that  there  are  no  trees  or  other  dangers 
behind  you,  and  so  you  will  fish  this  supposititious  pool 
by  using  the  Wye  cast.  The  fly  you  believe  in  has  been 
examined  and  is  attached  to  your  well  soaked  cast,  and  you 
have  now  to  fish  most  carefully  every  yard  of  the  run 


292  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

below  you,  keeping  as  much  out  of  sight  as  possible.  You 
first  lower  the  point  of  your  rod  down  stream,  paying  out 
just  enough  line  to  fish  the  nearest  upper  portion  of  the  run. 
When  the  line  is  fully  extended,  you  face  across  stream  to 
the  spot  at  which  you  wish  your  fly  to  alight,  keeping 
your  rod  pointing  down  stream  while  doing  so.  You 
then  raise  your  rod  steadily  until  the  line  is  well  to  the 
surface  of  the  water,  and  bring  the  rod  steadily  round  until 
it  is  between  your  eye  and  the  place  at  which  the  fly  has  to 
fall ;  then  without  stopping,  convert  this  movement  of  the 
rod  into  the  backward  switch  (see  Plate  XXXII.) ,  pausing 
as  usual  to  allow  the  line  to  extend  itself  behind  you  before 
making  your  forward  downward  switch.  You  then  make 
your  forward  cast,  lowering  the  rod  into  the  normal  fishing 
position.  Follow  the  line  with  the  rod — keeping  the  top 
pointing  slightly  up-stream — as  the  line  and  fly  are  carried 
down  stream  and  brought  into  a  straight  hne  below 
you. 

While  your  rod  has  been  following  the  fly  as  it  is  swept 
down  stream,  you  should  be  giving  a  series  of  steady  up 
and  down  movements  to  the  rod  point,  at  intervals  of  about 
two  seconds,  which  will  have  the  effect  of  giving  a  slight 
jigging  motion  to  the  fly. 

If  a  salmon  has  not  acknowledged  your  fly,  you  can, 
after  a  short  pause,  during  which  you  should  continue  to 
work  the  fly  as  it  lies  below  you,  repeat  this  cast,  but  this 
time  vary  the  movement  of  working  your  fly,  or  do  not  work 
it,  but  let  your  rod  sweep  slowly  round,  keeping  the  top 
pointing  as  before  at  least  twenty  degrees  above,  viz.,  to 
the  up-stream  side  of  the  fly. 

You  should  now  let  out  about  a  yard  of  your  Hne  and 
repeat  your  cast  as  before,  taking  care  to  cast  as  light  and 
straight  a  line  as  possible,  and  fishing  very  carefully  as 
your  fly  leaves  the  more  rapid  and  enters  the  deeper  part  of 


PLATE    XXXII. 


The  Wye  Cast. 

THE  BACKWARD  SWITCH  OF  THE  SALMON  ROD.      THE  BODY  HAS  TURNED  TO  THE 
PLANE  IN  WHICH  THE  LINE  WILL  FALL   IN    THE    FORWARD    CAST. 


PLATE   XXXIII. 


The  Wye  Cast  Converted  into  a  Galway  Cast  when 
Danger  has  to  be  Avoided  Behind  the  Fisherman. 


FISHING  FOR  SALMON  293 

the  water,  for  it  is  here  that  you  will  most  probably  find 
your  fish.  As  your  line  gradually  becomes  longer,  you  can, 
just  before  hfting  the  rod,  in  each  new  cast,  gather  in 
about  two  yards  of  line,  shooting  the  same  at  the  end  of 
each  downward  switch. 

When  you  have  covered  the  entire  width  of  the  water, 
you  must  move  down  stream,  about  one  yard,  and  make 
one  or  more  casts  as  before  from  this  position  ;  and  thus 
moving  down  the  stream,  and  using  just  as  long  a  line  as 
may  be  necessary,  cast  steadily  until  you  have  fished 
out  the  pool.  Do  not  attempt  to  use  a  longer  line  than  you 
can  comfortably  Hft  from  the  water,  and  always  lower  the 
rod  well  to  the  water  prior  to  making  each  cast. 

You  will  thus  have  carefully  searched  every  yard  of 
fishable  water.  Avoid  as  much  as  possible  fishing  with 
a  sagging  line  and  vary  your  method  of  working  the  fly 
to  suit  the  strength  of  the  stream. 

Always  remain  stationary  while  fishing  out  your  cast ; 
do  not  move  down  stream  until  you  are  certain  that 
no  fish  has  followed  your  fly  round  to  your  own  bank. 
If  you  move  down  stream  prematurely  you  will  probably 
frighten  your  fish  by  showing  him  the  line,  or  create  a 
sag  in  the  line,  and  even  if  a  fish  should  take  the  fly 
you  would  possibly  be  unaware  of  the  fact  owing  to  the 
slack  line. 

Treat  a  salmon  with  as  much  circumspection  and  respect 
as  you  would  a  trout.  They  are  both  wild  and  very  shy, 
and  neither  will  take  your  lures  simply  because  you  can 
cast  well  or  happen  to  be  wearing  an  attractive  homespun 
fishing  suit. 

To  the  novice  the  above  description  will  give  a  fairly 
general  idea  of  how  to  fish  any  ordinary  salmon  pool,  while 
every  incident  connected  with  each  day's  sport  will 
probably  tend  to  improve  and  better  his  method  of  fishing. 


294  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

Salmon  Fishing  :   A  Sagging  Line 

When  fishing  from  the  bank  it  requires  careful  study 
and  a  good  deal  of  skill  on  the  part  of  the  fisherman  to 
prevent  the  sagging  of  the  line  due  to  the  varying  currents 
in  the  river  across  which  it  is  cast.  If  the  line  has  fallen 
straight  in  the  desired  direction,  and  there  should  be  a 
tendency  of  the  line  to  sag  down-stream  after  the  for  ard 
cast,  the  fish,  when  in  a  certain  position,  may  possibly 
detect  the  casting  line  before  he  sees  the  lure.  Again,  if  the 
fly  be  seized  by  the  fish  while  a  sag  is  in  the  line,  the  fly  will 
possibly  be  ejected  from  the  mouth  of  the  fish  without  the 
fisherman  being  conscious  of  the  fact.  The  line,  if  sagging, 
has  not  the  power  of  a  straight  drag  on  the  hook  into  the 
jaws,  tongue,  etc.,  of  the  fish.  A  short  up-stream  motion 
of  the  point  of  the  rod,  before  the  fly  falls  on  the  water, 
will  cause  an  attendant  up-stream  curve  of  the  line,  and 
if  the  rod  is  kept  pointing  well  above  the  direction  of  the 
fly  until  it  has  swept  down  into  the  full  force  of  the 
current,  much  will  have  been  done  to  avoid  the  objectionable 
sag  and  its  consequences. 

When  the  river  is  fast  on  one  side  alone,  and  if  it 
be  covered  with  one  cast,  it  is  well  to  fish  from  that  side  of  the 
river  which  possesses  the  most  moderate  current,  the  fly 
being  cast  across  the  slacker  water  to  the  side  on  which  the 
more  rapid  stream  exists. 

When  a  river  is  fast  in  the  centre  and  slow  towards 
the  sides,  the  more  directly  the  line  is  thrown  across  the 
current  and  into  the  slacker  water  on  the  other  side,  the 
greater  the  sag.  Wading  permits  the  fisherman  in  most 
cases  to  choose  his  own  position  for  casting ;  he  can,  in 
consequence,  generally  avoid  the  danger  of  his  line  sagging, 
or  having  to  make  his  casts  from  a  position  which  might 
endanger  the  safety  of  his  gear. 


FISHING  FOR  SALMON  295 

If  a  river  is  not  wadable,  and  has  a  broad  rapid  current 
in  the  centre,  the  fisherman  should  content  himself  with 
fishing  the  faster  water  and  his  side  of  the  stream,  casting 
the  fly  well  over  but  within  the  rapid  portion  of  the  river, 
and  allowing  it  to  come  round  into  slacker  water  towards 
his  own  bank. 

Sinking  a  Fly 

Placing  a  shot  on  the  line  near  the  fly  in  order  to  sink  it, 
does  not  appear  to  me  to  be  an  unfair  method  of  fishing  ; 
the  object  being,  of  course,  merely  to  bring  the  fly  to  the 
notice  of  the  fish.  If  the  fish  be  lying  well  down  to  the 
bottom,  and  the  water  be  thick,  a  fly  coming  down  the 
stream  near  the  surface  would  easily  escape  its  notice. 
This  practice  of  leading  a  fly  is  frequently  condemned  as 
being  opposed  to  legitimate  fly  fishing  ;  it  suggests  a  relation- 
ship to  the  method  of  snatching  fish.  The  object,  however, 
of  the  salmon  or  trout  fisherman  is  to  capture  fish  by  lures 
which  are  meant  to  represent  some  form  of  water  insect 
life,  and  the  various  flies  which  are  thus  used  are  meant  to 
be  presented  to  the  fish.  If  the  fisherman,  therefore, 
chooses  the  only  method  of  doing  this — that  is  of  presenting 
his  flies — by  placing  shot  on  his  cast,  I  sympathize  with  his 
effort,  and  not  with  these  objectors,  who  are  perhaps 
adopting  an  attitude  having  a  greater  relationship  to  their 
own  ethics  and  ideas  as  to  legitimate  fishing,  than  to  the 
absolute  merits  of  the  case.  Personally,  I  dislike  throwing 
a  line  to  which  shot  are  attached,  but  if  the  fisherman  cannot 
otherwise  attract  the  notice  of  the  fish  he  is  anxious  to 
capture,  he  has  my  sympathy  if  he  uses  shot. 

Harling 
This  method  of  presenting  the  lure  to  salmon  can  best 
be  adopted  in  large  and  rapid  rivers  which  are  otherwise 


296  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

unfishable.  Hading  is  perhaps  the  most  killing,  but  by  no 
means  the  most  interesting,  method  of  presenting  a  spoon,  a 
fly,  or  minnow  to  the  notice  of  the  salmon,  the  skill  in 
presenting  the  lure  depending  on  the  manipulation  of  the 
boat  by  its  two  oarsmen.  The  fisherman  sits  in  the  stern 
of  the  boat,  with  his  back  to  the  bows.  He  has  generally 
two  rods,  one  over  each  quarter  of  the  boat,  and  with 
about  thirty  yards  of  line  out  on  each.  The  rods  are  fixed 
at  right  angles  to  each  other,  and  kept  in  this  position  by 
shoes  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat  for  the  butts,  and  cleats  on 
the  gunwale  of  each  quarter  for  the  lower  joint  of  each  rod 
to  rest  in. 

A  spoon  or  minnow  is  generally  used  as  a  lure  on  one 
rod  and  a  fly  as  lure  on  the  other.  The  lines  are  allowed 
to  drift  down-stream  behind  the  boat,  which,  start- 
ing at  the  head  of  each  pool,  with  the  boatmen  pulling 
slowly  against  the  stream,  is  permitted  to  drop  very 
gradually  down  the  river.  By  the  experience  and  judgment 
used  in  keeping  the  boat  at  the  most  judicious  speed  through 
the  water,  and  moving  in  sweeping  curves  from  bank  to 
bank  of  the  river,  the  lures  tailing  down-stream  behind  the 
the  boat  are  presented  to  the  salmon  in  the  best  possible 
manner. 

The  music  of  the  reel  and  the  pull  on  the  rod  at  once 
inform  the  fisherman  that  he  has  a  fish  "  on,"  and  he, 
seizing  with  one  hand  the  rod  to  which  the  salmon  is 
attached,  passes  the  other  rod  into  the  ready  grasp  of  the 
after-boatman,  who,  having  already  thrown  his  oar  aboard, 
is  waiting  to  receive  it.  The  fisherman  then  proceeds  to  play 
his  fish,  and  while  the  after-boatman  reels  up  the  line  on  the 
spare  rod,  the  other  keeps  the  boat  going.  As  soon  as  an 
opportunity  offers  the  fisherman  lands  and  plays  his  fish 
from  the  bank.  The  50-pound  salmon  mentioned  on 
P-  355  was  killed  in  this  manner. 


FISHING  FOR  SALMON  297 

Presenting  the  Spinning  Lure  to  the  Salmon 

In  fishing  any  pool,  the  speed  at  which  the  lure  has  to  be 
drawn  through  the  water  is  a  matter  of  considerable 
importance.  The  line  should  be  so  cast  that  the  lure 
commences  to  spin  directly  it  enters  the  water,  and  a  constant 
rate  of  speed  should,  if  possible,  be  given  to  it— not  too 
fast  and  not  too  slow.  If  you  intend  to  vary  the  speed  of 
each  cast,  it  is  better  to  impart  the  greater  spin  in  the  first 
casts,  and  gradually  reduce  this  speed. 

Don't  attempt  to  cover  too  much  ^yater  when  casting — 
cover  all  that  part  of  the  river  which  you  think  is  worth 
fishing,  but  without  pressing.  The  best  results  can  be 
obtained  only  when  keeping  the  muscular  action  under  per- 
fect control.  Never  expend  your  last  half-ounce  of  force 
in  any  athletic  effort  ;  always  keep  something  up  your 
sleeve — in  other  words,  don't  press. 

The  variation  of  the  speed  of  the  lure  when  fishing  a 
pool  is  effected  in  two  ways.  The  first  and  better  way  is 
to  slack  out  or  reel  in  the  line  by  hand.  The  second  is 
by  moving  the  rod  point.  As,  however,  there  must  always 
be  one  best  position  for  the  rod  when  controlling  the  speed 
of  the  lure — preventing  sagging — and  while  expecting  a  rise, 
any  movement  of  the  rod  away  from  this  position  must  of 
necessity  be  inadvisable  if  the  speed  of  the  lure  can  be  other- 
wise controlled. 

In  spinning  I  have  found  it  a  good  plan  at  times,  and  when 
the  depth  of  the  water  permits,  to  vary  the  pace  of  the  lure 
through  the  water  by  a  series  of  half  checks  given  to  the  rod 
action.  This  imparts  first  a  sinking  motion  and  then  an 
accelerated  one,  the  lure  moving  in  a  series  of  little  spurts. 

The  Rise  of  the  Salmon 
Probably   the    most    anxious    moments    of    the    salmon 
fisherman's  experience  are  those  which  chronicle  the  rise 


298  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

of  the  salmon  at  his  fly,  and  it  is  well  for  the  beginner  to  be 
in  all  senses  ready  for  this  event.  The  top  of  the  rod  should 
be  kept  well  down  and  pointed  in  a  direction  about 
twenty  degrees  on  the  up-stream  side  of  the  lure,  the  line 
passing  between  one  or  more  fingers  of  the  upper  hand  and 
the  rod.  It  is  not  advisable,  as  in  dry  fly  fishing,  to  strike 
in  order  to  hook  your  fish.  Except  when  the  fly  is  stationary 
or  being  drawn  down-stream,  the  salmon  should  be  allowed 
to  fix  the  barb  in  its  own  mouth — i.e.,  to  hook  himself — 
before  a  counter-strain  is  employed.  Following  the  rise, 
except  in  the  two  cases  just  quoted,  the  fisherman  should 
merely  brace  himself  for  action  and  keep  perfectly  still. 
If  a  quick  stroke  is  made  as  the  rise  is  perceived,  the  fly 
may  be  pulled  or  jerked  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  fish,  before 
the  hook  is  in  a  position  to  enter  the  flesh.  The  salmon 
will,  on  closing  his  jaws,  if  time  be  given,  shift  the  fly  with 
the  tongue  toward  the  teeth  preparatory  to  lacerating  it. 
If  the  barb  of  the  hook  during  this  action  happens  to  meet 
the  skin  either  of  the  tongue  or  jaws  of  the  fish,  and  the  line 
be  straight,  the  salmon  will  in  most  cases  be  hooked.  There 
will  always  be  sufiicient  pull  on  the  hook  itself,  owing  to  the 
plunge  of  the  fish  or  the  drag  of  the  line,  to  ensure  the  barb 
penetrating  directly  its  point  is  checked  by  the  skin.  The 
drag  and  resistance  of  the  rod  and  line  will  be  sufficient 
to  drive  it  well  home.  If,  therefore,  the  rod  is  kept  station- 
ary the  strain  on  the  fly  will  be  quite  sufficient  to  hook  the 
fish,  and  should  the  barb  never  be  in  a  position  to  enter  the  flesh 
the  fly  will  be  rejected  by  the  salmon  naturally,  instead  of 
being  jerked  out  of  the  mouth  by  a  movement  of  the  rod 
which  would  effectually  scare  the  fish,  and  maybe  prevent 
its  taking  any  other  flies  presented  to  it  later  on. 

So  long  as  an  object  be  moving,  the  salmon  will  invariably 
attack  it  with  a  rush ;  but  should  the  object  be  stationary 
in  the  water — i.e.,  floating  with  the  current — the  salmon  will 


FISHING  FOR  SALMON 

at  times  take  it  as  gently  as  a  big  trout  would  take  a  drifting 
worm  as  it  enters  his  favourite  and  shady  pool.  In  this 
latter  case,  directly  the  first  intimation  is  conveyed  to  the 
fisherman  that  the  fly  has  been  touched,  an  immediate  and 
steady  resistance  to  any  such  pull  should  be  made. 

When  the  fish  is  hooked,  the  rod  should  be  held  well 
away  from  the  direction  of  the  salmon,  and  the  strain  on  the 
line  should  never  be  relaxed  under  any  circumstances. 
This  is  necessary  not  only  because  the  fish  may  be  lightly 
hooked,  or  hooked  on  the  bone,  but  in  order  to  exhaust  and 
finally  to  bring  it  into  the  most  convenient  back-water 
or  quiet  pool.  Keep  as  much  strain  on  your  line  as  is  safe, 
but  try  not  to  frighten  the  salmon  at  the  onset  into  dangerous 
water  by  being  rough.  If  a  fish  sulks  get  opposite  to  or 
below  it  and  try  a  fresh  strain  on  the  rod. 

Gaffing 

If  you  have  no  one  to  gaff  your  salmon  for  you,  keep  at  your 
fish  until  you  have  him  beaten  and  into  slack  water.  Bring 
your  rod  up  over-head  and  backward  with  one  hand, 
the  line  held  for  the  moment  between  this  hand  and  the  rod, 
and  as  your  fish  presents  his  broadside  slip  the  gaff  quietly 
over  its  back,  point  sideways,  just  before  the  dorsal  fin, 
turn  the  point  right  down,  and  with  one  strong  and  deter- 
mined pull  bring  the  point  into  its  side,  and  drag  the  fish  to 
the  shore. 

Never,  never  under  any  circumstances  attempt  to  take 
your  lure  from  the  mouth  of  the  salmon  until  it  has  received 
a  most  complete  quietus — i.e.,  until  the  salmon  is  incapable 
of  motion.  After  you  have  administered  the  last  rites  with 
the  priest  place  your  rod  carefully  in  some  safe  position,  and, 
using  the  lancet  in  the  disgorger  of  your  knife,  liberate  each 
hook  from  the  flesh.  Keep  the  mouth  of  the  fish  open  with 
the  butt  of  your  priest  while  doing  this  ;   then  weigh  your 


300  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

fish,  and  put  the  exact  weight,  length  and  girth,  time  of  day, 
name  of  lure,  the  appearance  of  the  fish,  and  the  name  of  the 
pool  down  in  your  pocket-book.  You  will  remember  the 
rest  if  necessary  when  you  get  home. 

Renting  a  Fishing  Water 

No  investment  is  so  unfortunate,  or  so  extremely  mortify- 
ing, both  to  the  lessee  and  to  his  guests,  as  the  renting  of  an 
indifferent  salmon  fishing. 

Before  renting  a  fishing  write  to  the  last  two  preceding 
tenants. 

Always  consult  your  solicitor  before  signing  an 
agreement. 

Remember  that  even  the  most  unpleasant  and  disappoint- 
ing river  may  at  times  and  in  certain  places  produce  good 
returns.  Some  rivers  will,  following  a  spate,  yield  plenty 
of  fish,  but  it  is  worth  remembering  that  you  can  seldom 
command  a  spate. 

Fishing  agents  may  be  expected  to  quote  the  best  year's 
returns  and  not  the  worst.     No  rivers  are  always  good. 

There  are  bad  months  for  even  the  best  of  fishings. 

It  is  advisable,  before  concluding  an  agreement  for  renting 
a  salmon  fishing  or  trout  water,  to  find  out  first  whether 
the  fishing  about  to  be  taken  includes  the  right  to  fish  beyond 
the  middle  of  the  stream.  In  many  salmon  and  in  some 
trout  rivers  which  are  offered  for  yearly  rental,  the  better 
part  of  its  various  pools,  as  often  as  not,  lie  under  the  farther 
bank,  and  if  the  fishing  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river 
be  not  included  in  the  lease  which  you  have  acquired,  the 
lease  will  not  give  you  the  right  to  fish  beyond  the  middle 
of  the  stream.  The  fisherman,  having  the  right  to  fish  from 
one  bank  only,  can  only  fish  *'  ad  medium  filum  " — that  is  to 
say — he  must  not  fish  beyond  an  imaginary  line  down  the 
exact  middle  of  the  water  in  the  river,  otherwise  he  renders 


FISHING  FOR  SALMON  301 

himself  liable  to  an  action  in  law,  by  the  owners  of  the  fishing 
rights  of  the  opposite  bank.  In  many  streams,  however, 
an  amicable  arrangement  is  arrived  at  which  obviates  any 
difficulty  on  this  point,  but  it  is  advisable  to  find  out 
whether  such  an  arrangement  as  this  can  be  relied  on  for 
renting  a  trout  or  salmon  water.  It  follows  from  this,  that 
if  possible,  not  only  should  a  chart  of  the  fishing  water 
be  carefully  considered,  but  that  a  visit  to  the  river  should  be 
made  before  any  agreement  is  signed. 


CHAPTER  XVI 
SALMON  FLIES,  KNOTS,  GUT,  AXIOMS,   ETC. 

Salmon  flies — ^List  of  flies — Hooks — ^Flexible  eyes — ^Metal   eyes — ^knots 
— Useful  axioms  and  hints  when  fishing. 

The  salmon  can  by  no  means  be  classed  as  the  lowest  of 
its  order  in  the  scale  of  the  vertebrata,  and,  quite  apart  from 
instinct,  memory  influences  to  a  greater  or  less  degree  the 
life  of  every  vertebrate  ;  this  may  explain  why  a  salmon 
will  allow  certain  flies  to  pass  by  unmolested,  but  will,  with- 
out hesitation,  attack  a  different  coloured  or  a  different  sized 
fly. 

It  is,  I  think,  generally  agreed  that  fish  are  able  to  dis- 
tinguish colours  and  tones.  In  every  salmon  river,  there 
are  certain  flies  which  are  tried  over  and  over  again  by  the 
fisherman  as  being  the  ones  most  likely  to  succeed,  and  the 
salmon,  after  being  some  time  in  fresh  water,  will  naturally 
remember  the  size  and  the  colour  of  the  nasty  prickly  things 
by  which  it  has  so  frequently  been  startled,  and  however 
much  its  instinct  might  compel  the  destruction  of  moving 
aqueous  life,  it — as  a  consequence  of  its  former  experience — 
will  be  unlikely  to  tackle  these  particular  flies.  I  think  it 
is  important  therefore,  as  the  season  advances,  or  some  time 
after  a  run  of  clean  fish  has  ceased,  to  try  flies  other  than  the 
popular  few. 

Those  whose  water  is  so  situated  as  to  give  them  the  first 
chance  at  fish  as  they  enter  a  river  may,  with  every  possi- 
bility of  success,  content  themselves  with  some  ten  or  more 
flies,  say — the  Thunder  and  Lightning,  the  Black  Doctor, 

302 


SALMON  FLIES,  KNOTS,  AXIOMS,  ETC.       303 

the  Durham  Ranger,  the  Silver  Doctor,  the  Jock  Scott, 
the  Popham,  the  Black  Dog,  the  Blue  Doctor,  the  Silver 
Grey  and  the  Butcher. 

But  it  is  because  these  flies  are  so  frequently  used  that  they 
must  be  familiar  to  a  salmon  who  has  run  any  distance  up  a 
stream,  and  they  will  therefore  probably  inspire  caution  or 
fear.  For  this  reason  I  think  that  for  those  who  fish  late 
in  the  season  and  higher  up  a  river,  salmon  flies  such  as  those 
included  in  the  following  list  might  supply  one  whose 
appearance  would  provoke  aggression  and  not  caution. 


Salmon  Flies 

I  do  not  think  it  necessary  to  give  a  complete  list  of  the 
names  of  the  many  (about  140)  Salmon  Flies  known  to  the 
fishing  world,  but  I  think  it  will  be  useful  to  my  reader  if  I 
give  the  names  of  some  twenty  of  the  most  generally  used  in 
Great  Britain  and  Northern  Europe. 

If  the  beginner  will  be  content  to  stock  these  flies  in  the 
sizes  I  recommend,  I  think  he  will  probably  find  that  he  has 
all  that  are  necessary  on  any  stream  he  may  visit  and,  that 
though  the  number  and  variety  of  his  flies  will  increase,  he 
will  not,  with  the  flies  I  have  suggested,  be  likely  to  find 
his  book  stocked  with  specimens  upon  which  his  gillie  or  his 
friends  will  frown. 


The  Name  of  Fly.                                 Range  from  No.    to 

No. 

Butcher               

2/0 

4 

Gordon                 

2/0 

3 

Golden  Eagle 

3/0 

I 

Silver  Doctor 

0 

3 

Blue  Doctor 

0 

3 

Black  Doctor 

0 

4 

Jock  Scott          

2/0 

3 

Black  Dog           

0 

3 

Dusty  Miller 

0 

3 

Popham               

I/O 

3 

304 


FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 


The  Name  of  Fly. 

Range  from  No.  to  No. 

Durham  Ranger  7 

2/0           3 

Thunder  and  Lightning 

I            4 

Wilkinson 

I            4 

Childers 

2            5 

Murdock 

0            3 

Stevenson 

I/O        3 

Grey  Heron 

2            4 

Fiery  Brown 

I/O        3 

Silver  Grey 

2/0        2 

Golden  Olive 

I            4 

March  Brown 

2/0        5 

When  ordering  flies  under  the  new  numbering,  for  2/0 
read  16,  for  i/o  read  15,  for  i  read  14,  for  2  read  13,  and  so  on. 

Hooks 

The  hooks  which  I  think  preferable  to  all  others  are  the 
Cholmondeley-Pennell  Limerick  Hook,  with  turn  down 
eyes  and  upturned  shanks. 

The  numbers  used  with  the  list  of  flies  I  have  given  are 
those  commonly  used  with  reference  to  the  salmon  flies 
supplied  by  dealers.  The  sizes  range  from  Nos.  5/0,  4/0, 
3/0,  2/0,  0,  I,  2,  and  thereon  down  to  17,  which  represents 
the  000  hook,  the  smallest  sized  trout  fly  hook  used. 

The  catalogue  of  most  fishing  tackle  dealers  will  show 
the  sizes  of  the  different  hooks,  and  when  ordering  flies 
through  them,  it  is  advisable  to  use  whatever  system  of 
numbering  they  adopt. 

The  size  of  the  hook,  i.e.,  the  fly,  to  be  used  when  fishing 
will  depend  to  a  large  extent  on  the  time  of  year  and  on  the 
state  of  the  water.  In  the  spring  the  larger  salmon  flies  are 
generally  used  and  found  to  be  most  effective.  In  the  early 
summer  the  medium  sizes  are  preferable,  while  in  the  full 
summer  and  in  the  autumn,  the  smallest  flies  are  generally 
the  most  killing.  In  flood  waters,  the  sizes  used  should  be 
relatively    larger.     When    possible,    however,    obtain    the 


PLATE    XXXIV 


Fig.  I 


Fig.  2. 


l^ijfMitHHW' 


Fig.  3. 


Splicing  the  Rod. 


I. — PASSING   THE    END    THROUGH    THE    LOOSENED    TURNS. 

2.— THESE    TURNS    DRAWN    TIGHT. 

3.— THE    SLACK    LINE    PULLED    THROUGH. 


Fig.   4. 
Making  the  Loop. 


Fig.    5. 


Fig.  6. 


Fig.  7. 


The  Loop  for  the  Steel  Eye  of  the  Salmon  Fly, 


SALMON  FLIES,  KNOTS,  AXIOMS,  ETC.       305 

advice  of  those  who  are  acustomed  to  fish  on  the  water  to 
which  you  are  going. 

An  assortment  of  nine  or  ten  of  the  different  flies  most 
likely  to  be  suitable  on  the  river  and  to  the  conditions  of 
each  day,  can  be  carried  by  the  fisherman  in  a  small  Japanned 
fly  box. 

The  salmon  fly  book  in  which  are  kept  the  main  stock  of 
flies  can  generally  be  left  at  your  sleeping  quarters.  The 
fly  book  is  to  the  salmon  fisherman,  what  the  trout  fly 
cabinet  is  to  the  dry  fly  fisherman. 

If  possible  salmon  flies  should  be  thoroughly  dried  before 
being  put  back  into  the  case,  or  returned  to  the  salmon  book. 
It  is  not  a  bad  plan  to  have  a  large  safety  pin,  on  which  to 
string  the  flies  as  they  are  taken  off  the  cast,  securing  the 
pin  to  the  cap. 

If  the  feathers,  etc.,  used  in  the  flies  are  of  the  best  material, 
and  if  these  be  carefully  tied  on  the  best  quality  of  japanned 
and  eyed  steel  hooks,  each  fly  dried  after  use  and  before 
being  placed  in  the  fly  book,  box  or  cabinet,  and  protected 
against  moth  in  the  off  season,  the  usefulness  of  each  fly  will 
extend  over  many  years  of  active  fishing. 

Shop  dressed  flies  are  "  things  of  beauty,"  but  rarely 
"  a  joy  for  ever  "  ;  and  a  considerable  portion  of  their  top 
dressing  can  frequently  be  dispensed  with  (see  Captain  de 
Winton's  letter,  page  348). 

Knots  and  Gut.     Flexible  and  Metal  Eyes 

Salmon  flies,  the  eyes  of  which  are  made  with  flexible 
material,  are  readily  and  easily  attached  to  your  cast, 
and  if  the  end  of  the  final  strand  of  your  gut  cast  be  made 
into  a  loop,  the  lower  bight  of  this  loop  can  be  threaded 
through  the  eye  of  the  fly,  and  passed  down  and  over  the 
body  of  the  fly.  The  loop  can  then  be  drawn  close  up  to  the 
neck  of  the  eye. 

21 


306  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

The  loop  in  the  end  of  your  salmon  gut  cast  should  be 
formed  as  follows.  The  gut  is  well  soaked.  It  is  then 
doubled,  being  turned  up  for  about  three  inches.  A  single 
overhand  knot  is  then  made  on  the  bight  (Plate  XXXIV., 
Fig.  4)  and  drawn  taut  (Fig.  5).  It  is  a  good  plan  to  hang 
a  weight  of  three  pounds  or  so,  for  a  couple  of  hours  on  to 
the  loop  thus  formed.  It  will  draw  the  softened  gut  well 
together,  and  the  end  can  then  be  cut  short  off,  or  whipped 
with  fine  waxed  silk. 

If  the  end  of  your  cast  be  single,  then  for  a  flexible  eyed 
fly  no  fastening  is  more  effective  than  a  single  sheet  bend, 
with  the  end  brought  up  round  behind  the  gut,  over  the 
eye,  and  down  between  the  loop  of  the  sheet  bend.  (See 
Plate  XXXV.,  Figs.  1,  2  and  3). 

Remember  always  that  it  is  in  the  flexible  eye  of  the  fly, 
and  in  the  end  of  your  cast,  that  the  greatest  play  will  occur, 
and  in  which  the  greatest  danger  may  be  feared. 

A  loop  in  the  end  of  your  cast,  so  long  as  it  is  carefully 
tested  each  day,   lessens  some  of  the  dangers,   for  it  is 
strengthened  by  being  doubled,   but  it  will  then  be  the 
flexible  eye  of  the  fly  which  will  require  the  greatest  attention, 
that  is  if  the  fly  be  frequently  used. 

It  is  for  this  reason  that  many  fishermen  prefer  a  metal 
eyed  fly  ;  no  danger  of  deterioration  occurs,  and  the  metal 
eye  adds  to  the  sinking  quahties  of  the  fly.  If  the  steel  eye 
of  the  fly  be  sufficiently  large  and  a  loop  be  used  on  the  end 
of  your  cast,  this  can,  when  soft,  be  passed  through  the 
eye  and  over  the  body  of  the  fly,  and  then  drawn  taut  just 
below    the    eye.     (See  Plate  XXXIV.,  Figs.  6  and  7). 

To  avoid  danger  see  that  both  the  end  of  your  cast  and  the 
flexible  eye  of  your  fly  are  softened  and  pliable  before  at- 
taching them  to  one  another. 

A  metal-eyed  salmon  fly,  unless  it  is  properly  shaped, 
has  a  greater  tendency  to  weaken  or  break  the  end  of  your 


PLATE    XXXV. 


Fig.  I 


Fig.  ?. 


A  SHEET  BEND. 


UP     ROUND     AND     DOWN 
THROUGH. 


TIGHTENED. 


Fig.   I,  2,  3. — Showing  the  Method  of  Attaching  the  Single 
End  of  a  Cast  to  the  Gut  Eye  of  a  Salmon  Fly. 


Fig.  3 


Fig.  4. 


THE  CAST  KNOT  LOOSELY  TIED. 


FIG.  5. 


Fig.  6. 


DRAWN  TAUT. 


Fig.  4,  5,  6. — ^The  Knot  for  Fastening  the  Different  Ends  of 
Gut  Together  when  Making  up  a  Cast. 


SALMON  FLIES,  KNOTS,  AXIOMS,  ETC.      307 

gut  than  a  flexible  eye.  The  inflexible  character  of  the 
metal  eye  lends  no  assistance  to  the  gripping  nature 
of  the  end  of  the  gut  cast. 

The  knot  which  I  advocate  for  the  small  trout 
fly  is  not  a  safe  one  for  larger  hooks,  for  the  single 
turn  through  the  metal  eye  of  the  salmon  fly  subjects 
the  gut  at  the  bend  to  much  too  severe  and  abrupt  a 
strain.  Another  disadvantage  of  this  knot  when  used 
for  a  salmon  fly  is  that  some  portion  of  the  end  of  the 
gut  point  has  to  be  sacrificed,  i.e.,  cut  off,  when  the  fly 
is  changed. 

The  most  simple  method  of  fastening  gut  to  gut 
is  that  shown  in  Diagram  7,  but  the  most  reliable 
one  is  that  which  should  be  used  when  making  up  a 
gut  cast.  It  is  formed  in  a  somewhat  similar  manner 
to  the  blood  knot  made  by  sailors,  formerly  used  in 
the  cat  of  nine  tails,  but  is  made  with  two  ends 
instead  of  one,  as  follows: — 

1.  Place  the  two  strands  of  gut  together,  end  to  end,  but 
over-lapping  a  few  inches,  then  twist  the  ends  round  one 
another  six  complete  turns. 

2.  Divide  these  turns  in  the  centre  by  the  pricker  of  your 
knife. 

3.  Bring  each  end  back  and  pass  them  in  opposite 
directions  through  the  opening  made  by  the  pricker.  (See 
Plate  XXXV.,  Figure  4). 

4.  Take  the  other  parts  of  the  gut  between  the  smaller 
fingers  of  the  two  hands,  and,  gently  pulling  on  them,  work 
the  turns  closely  together  with  the  fingers  and  thumbs  (see 
Figures). 

6.  Draw  this  knot  quite  tight  (see  Figure  6). 
6.  Cut  off  the  short  ends  close  to  the  knot. 
The  gut  should  always  be  well  soaked  before  this  knot  is 
tied. 


308  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

Useful  Axioms  and   Hints  When  Fishing 

The  quality  which  wiU  prove  invaluable  to  the  salmon  fly 
fisherman  is  that  of  perseverance.  By  persistently  present- 
ing his  lures  throughout  a  long  day  in  every  possible  position 
likely  to  harbour  a  salmon,  and  by  continuing  to  concentrate 
his  energies  with  care  and  attention  on  the  purpose  of 
fishing,  he  will  with  average  luck  eventually  establish  his 
position  as  a  successful  salmon  fisherman. 

It  is  the  billiardist  who  can  continue  to  concentrate  his 
attention  on  each  effort  he  makes,  who  will  compile  the 
biggest  break. 

The  probable  average  response  of  the  salmon  to  the 
efforts  of  the  fly  fisherman  throughout  the  year  does  not 
exceed  more  than  two  per  diem,  and  the  fisherman  does  not 
secure  more  than  one  fish  for  every  four  rises  at  his  lure. 
That  is  to  say,  however  careful  he  may  be  in  his  methods 
of  casting  and  fishing  out  his  cast,  and  however  persistent 
he  may  be  in  presenting  his  lure  to  the  fish,  the  average 
fisherman  is  not  likely  to  secure  more  than  one  fish 
for  every  two  hundred  casts  he  makes,  and  therefore  196 
of  these  casts  will,  so  far  as  he  is  aware,  fail  to  move  a 
fish. 

As  it  is  impossible  to  say  at  what  time  of  the  day,  at  what 
part  of  his  water,  or  at  which  moment  of  any  cast,  he  may 
be  lucky  enough  to  meet  with  a  response,  the  patience 
required  in  order  to  continue  casting  with  unvaried  attention 
to  every  likely  spot,  and  without  any  view  of  his  quarry, 
or  any  certainty  of  there  being  a  fish  in  the  pool  he  is  fishing, 
may  be  well  imagined. 

The  moments  when  a  salmon  will  take  are  as  uncertain  in 
their  occurrence  as  those  of  trout.  They  seldom  take  when 
a  mist  is  on  the  water.     They  will  both  take  at  the  com- 


SALMON  FLIES,  KNOTS,  AXIOMS,  ETC.       309 

mencement  of  a  rise  in  the  river,  but  neither  will  take  during 
a  rising  flood.  With  these  exceptions,  however,  no  hour 
between  dawn  and  night  may  be  looked  upon  as  being  an 
impossible  one  for  salmon  fishing 

Salmon  are  taken  on  the  fly  during  the  night,  but  after 
dusk — a  favourite  hour — I  must  confess  to  losing  my  in- 
terest in  fly  fishing. 

As  with  trout,  I  think  the  best  hours  for  salmon  fishing  are 
between  11  a.m.  and  2  p.m. 

No  place  in  any  salmon  river  can  be  regarded  as  being 
an  impossible  lie  for  salmon,  and  while  local  knowledge  and 
experience  are  valuable,  instinct  and  general  experience  are 
factors  which  should  always  influence  the  salmon  fisherman. 
The  state  of  the  river,  the  time  of  year  and  day,  also  the 
meteorological  conditions,  are  potent  factors  in  determining 
the  position  of  salmon  in  each  pool. 

Salmon  frequently  take  well  in  rainy  weather,  and  for  this 
reason  it  is  well  to  carry  with  you  a  light  waterproof  coat. 

It  is  better  to  vary  your  method  of  working  the  salmon  fly 
when  fishing  out  your  casts.  Not  only  will  this  be  instruc- 
tive and  possibly  lead  to  success,  but  it  will  help  to  relieve 
the  monotony  attendant  on  a  long  and  possibly  blank  day's 
salmon  fly  casting.  Unless  one  is  fortunate  in  getting  fish, 
patience  is  very  much  wanted  when  salmon  fishing,  as  long 
days  of  unrewarded  and  possibly  unrecognized  effort  lead 
to  weariness  of  mind  and  body. 

It  is  the  extreme  end  of  your  line  and  also  of  your  cast 
which  is  the  first  to  deteriorate.  It  is  to  the  condition 
of  these  that  your  attention  should  be  directed. 

Force  in  Salmon  fly  casting  should  be  derived  from  the 
weight  of  the  body  through  the  arms  to  the  rod,  and  not 
from  the  exclusive  action  of  the  muscles  of  the  right  or  the 
left  arm. 


310  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

Do  not  cast  your  fly  any  further  than  is  necessary  to 
cover  the  likely  water  of  the  pool  or  river  you  are  fishing. 
Try  and  fish  your  water  by  casting  as  much  as  possible  down 
stream.  The  more  you  throw  your  line  across  the  stream, 
the  greater  the  chances  of  a  sagging  line.  Across  and  down 
you  must  cast,  but  down  as  much  as  possible. 

The  salmon  fly  which  is  most  deadly  is  that  which  is 
fished  on  the  straightest  line. 

When  into  a  fish  have  your  line  well  reeled  in  and  keep 
as  near  to  the  fish  as  possible ;  also  do  not  let  your  line 
drag  in  the  water. 

A  slack  line  leads  to  danger,  and  it  also  prevents  your 
bringing  pressure  to  bear  at  once  on  a  fish  which  has  taken 
the  fly. 

As  the  salmon  comes  in  towards  you,  be  as  still  as  a  statue, 
and  when  you  are  certain  of  your  fish  then  gaff  it. 

Keep  the  point   of  your  gaff  sharp. 

Carefully  examine  and  test  your  fly  and  cast  after  kiUing 
a  fish. 

Movement  can  most  easily  be  given  to  the  fly  at  the  end 
of  a  straight  short  line.  With  a  long  line  much  of  the 
impulse  given  to  the  rod  will  be  lost  ere  it  reaches  the 

fly- 

When  a  fish  sulks,  do  not  let  him  rest  or  foul  your  line, 
but  alter  your  position  on  the  bank  if  possible  as  soon  as 
you  can,  until  you  are  opposite  or  below  the  fish,  and  if  you 
then  bring  your  rod  sideways  upstream  and  well  back,  you 
will  soon  move  him. 

When  fishing  the  lower  reaches  of  any  salmon  river,  and 
when  the  water  is  discoloured,  or  the  river  full,  heavy  rods, 


SALMON  FLIES,  KNOTS,  AXIOMS,  ETC.       311 

lines,  and  lures  can  be  used,  and  with  advantage  ;  but  when 
the  water  is  small  and  as  clear  as  crystal  the  lighter  the 
rods,  tackle  and  flies,  the  greater  should  be  the  success  in 
getting  fish. 

Fish  carefully  but  quickly.  Do  not  potter  in  your  fishing 
and  as  much  as  possible  avoid  showing  yourself. 

Rough  weather,  or  tumbled  water,  especially  in  the 
summer  time,  is  a  factor  in  favour  of  the  salmon  fisherman, 
probably  because  the  breaking  and  tumbling  of  the  waves 
oxygenates  the  water  and  enlivens  the  fish. 

It  is  believed  by  many  experienced  fishermen  that  sea- 
trout  and  salmon  seldom  take  while  on  their  initial  run  up 
a  stream,  and  not  until  shortly  after  they  have  reached  and 
settled  for  the  time  being  in  a  pool ;  but  if  they  have 
been  washed  down  they  may  take  at  any  time  or  anywhere 
for  the  first  day  or  two  after  the  spate  has  begun  to 
subside. 

My  reason,  for  saying  this,  is  that  I  have  so  frequently 
hooked  a  discoloured  fish  in  the  more  rapid  parts  of  a  river 
and  in  the  most  unlikely  places  for  a  salmon  to  lie. 

The  record  salmon  for  1907  was  caught  by  myself  after 
a  spate  on  the  Namson  River,  in  the  middle  of  a  run  between 
two  pools,  and  in  a  portion  of  the  river  in  which  it  seemed 
impossible  for  a  fish  to  rest.  From  its  appearance  this  salmon 
must  have  left  salt  water  at  least  two  months  previously. 

While  the  colour  of  a  salmon  fly  is  undoubtedly  of  some 
importance  in  securing  fish,  the  size  of  the  fly  is  of  even 
greater  consequence. 

The  fly  which  has  killed  your  last  fish  will  be  the  one  you 
fancy,  but  perhaps  not  the  best. 


312  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

So  long  as  the  barb  is  sharp  enough  to  effect  a  lasting 
attachment,  and  the  eye  strong  enough  to  stand  the  strain  of 
a  fight,  the  more  knocked  about  an  ordinary  shop  dressed 
salmon  fly  is,  the  more  effective  it  very  often  appears  to  be 
when  fishing  for  salmon. 

It  should  also  be  remembered  that  after  a  spate  the 
minnow  and  the  fly  may  at  any  time  of  the  year  be  used 
with  equal  chance  of  success. 

Generally  speaking,  the  deeper  the  lure  when  wet  fly 
fishing  or  spinning  the  better,  for  the  less  distance  that 
a  big  fish  has  to  move,  to  the  lure,  the  greater  the 
chance  of  securing  it. 

Spin  slowly,  as  long  as  the  bait  spins  freely. 

The  perfection  of  a  spinning  reel  does  not  consist  in  the 
distance  a  lure  can  be  thrown,  but  in  the  mechanical 
perfection  of  its  mechanism  to  the  object  of  fishing. 

When  wading  be  especially  careful  as  you  approach  the 
head  of  any  salmon  pool — a  rapidly  shelving  soft  bottom, 
or  a  rocky  ledge  and  a  strong  stream  behind  the  fisherman 
have  proved  potent  factors  in  many  cases  of  drowning. 

Don't,  therefore,  wade  deeply  when  directly  above  and 
approaching  the  head  of  a  salmon  pool. 

Lower  the  rod  well  down,  and  always  take  in  sufficient 
line  before  making  a  fresh  cast,  to  make  your  back  cast 
successful. 

Be  certain  that  your  salmon  has  received  his  coup-de-grdce 
ere  attempting  to  disengage  the  lure  from  its  mouth. 

After  a  salmon  has  received  its  coup-de-grdce  there  are 
two  periods  during  which  its  flesh  should  be  cooked  and  eaten. 
The  first  period  is  from  one  to  four  hours  after  it  has  ceased 


SALMON  FLIES,  KNOTS,  AXIOMS,  ETC.       313 

to  live,  i.e.,  before  rigor  mortis  has  set  in,  and  the  second 
period  occurs  when  rigor  mortis  has  passed. 

It  is  incomparably  better  to  cook  and  eat  the  fish,  or 
indeed  any  flesh,  before  it  begins  to  stiffen.  This  period, 
however,  is  a  short  one  and  variable  in  its  length,  depending 
on  temperature,  meteorological  conditions,  and  the  circum- 
stances attending  death. 

The  period  during  which  the  flesh  should  not  be  cooked 
and  eaten,  that  is  the  period  when  rigor  mortis  continues, 
is  also  variable.  Its  duration  can  easily  be  detected  by 
handling  the  fish  or  flesh. 

A  Refractory  Joint. 

Owing  maybe  to  the  want  of  a  little  mutton  fat,  the 
sockets  connecting  the  different  joints  of  the  rod  may  at 
times  become  fixed,  or  stuck  together,  and  the  greatest  care 
must  be  used  in  separating  them,  in  order  to  avoid  injuring 
the  delicate  material  of  the  rod. 

If,  when  you  are  taking  your  rod  to  pieces,  you  find  that 
you  cannot  disengage  any  two  of  its  lengths,  you  should 
proceed  as  follows : — Wet  one  comer  of  your  handkerchief 
or  any  strip  of  strong  linen,  and  opening  out  the  end,  wrap 
it  on  the  smaller  joint  of  the  two  pieces,  about  six  inches 
from  the  socket,  then  bind  the  linen  tightly  round  the  rod, 
the  first  two  turns  of  the  linen  over-running  its  own  end, 
and  thus  passing  this  ligature  tightly  round  and  round  the 
rod,  continue  until  the  turns  reach  the  joint. 

If  the  end  of  this  ligature  be  now  grasped  in  one  hand, 
it  will  hold  the  upper  and  smaller  end  of  your  rod  firmly 
and  safely,  and  if  the  thicker  joint  of  the  rod  be  grasped 
by  the  metal  socket  and  twisted  round,  the  refractory 
joint  will  in  most  cases  be  easily  and  safely  disengaged. 

If,  however,  the  two  joints  of  the  rod  are  still  inseparable, 
place  yet  another  strip  of  linen  or  your  handkerchief  in  a 


314  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

similar  manner  about  six  inches  below  the  refractory  socket 
of  the  lower  joint,  but  making  the  turns  in  the  opposite 
direction  to  those  already  placed  on  the  upper  joint,  and 
thus  winding  this  new  ligature  tightly  on  the  rod,  continue 
until  it  reaches  and  covers  the  metal  portion  of  the  socket. 
The  two  ligatures  will  now  meet  one  another  at  the  refractory 
socket,  and  if  they  are  grasped  firmly  in  the  two  hands  will 
permit  a  perfectly  safe  but  firm  grip  to  be  made  on  the  two 
joints,  and  they  will  thus  be  easily  separated. 

If  the  fisherman  finds  that  the  linen  or  the  handkerchief 
does  not  grip  the  rod,  he  can  first  pass  a  little  of  the  small 
end  through  the  nearest  ring,  and  then  down  the  joint, 
overlapping  this  end,  with  the  first  turn,  etc. 

If,  when  near  home,  you  find  the  sockets  fixed  together, 
take  the  two  joints  into  the  house,  and  by  leaving  the  rod 
until  the  morning,  the  dryness  and  warmth  of  the  room  in 
which  it  is  kept  will  probably  loosen  the  sockets  or  at  any 
rate  considerably  assist  their  ultimate  separation. 

When  the  joints  are  separated,  see  that  they  are  rubbed 
clean  with  a  dry  rag,  and  then  kept  well  greased  with 
mutton  fat  in  the  future. 

As  with  golf,  so  with  the  salmon  rod  :  don't  press.  It  is 
knack  and  not  strength  which  achieves  the  best  and  most 
accurate  casts.  Never  exert  your  last  pound  of  strength  ; 
keep  well  within  the  limit  of  your  power.  A  correct  action 
is  perhaps  the  most  important  art  in  fly  casting.  At  the 
finish  of  any  cast,  if  there  is  any  slack  line  hanging  below  the 
upper  hand  and  the  winch  reel  up  at  once  ;  never  have  any 
slack  line  before  the  winch  when  expecting  a  rise. 


CHAPTER    XVII 
METHODS    OF    CASTING    A    SALMON    FLY 

The  action  of  the  salmon  rod. — The  position  of  the  sahnon  reel — ^The 
salmon  rod — ^The  right-handed  overhead  cast — ^The  forward  cast 
— The  left-hand  overhead  cast — The  Wye  cast — The  side  cast 
— The  Galway  cast — Curved  casts — ^The  loop  cast  made  in  one 
plane — The  loop  cast  made  from  left  to  right — ^The  same  cast 
from  right  to  left — ^The  switch  cast — The  Spey  throw — ^The  Suir 
river  cast — ^A  variation  of  the  Wye  cast  when  danger  is  behind. 

As  I  have  stated  already,  in  each  and  every  cast  which  can 
be  made,  the  movements  of  the  double  handed  rod  are 
exactly  similar  to  those  made  by  the  single  handed  rod,  the 
only  difference  being  the  manner  in  which  the  rod  is  held 
and  the  method  in  which  the  force  is  applied. 

Bearing  this  in  mind,  the  reader  must  not  be  surprised 
if  I  do  not  deal  with  the  various  casts  with  the  two  handed 
rod  at  such  length  as  I  thought  necessary  when  dealing 
with  the  single  handed  rod.  Therefore,  while  saying  all  that 
is  necessary  to  aid  the  beginner  in  learning  how  to  make 
each  of  the  various  casts  with  the  salmon  rod,  I  am  relying 
on  him  to  have  first  studied  the  respective  casts  with  the 
trout  rod. 

I  shall,  however,  accompany  my  description  of  these  casts 
with  certain  plates  which  I  think  will  assist  the  student 
not  only  with  the  salmon  rod,  but  with  the  trout  rod. 
Many  of  these  plates  will  be  from  instantaneous  photographs 
taken  when  actually  casting,  and  the  line  will  be  shown 
exactly  as  it  appeared  on  the  plate,  but  in  some  cases,  this 
line  has  been  very  carefully  strengthened,  so  that  in  the 
half-tone  process,  its  reproduction  may  be  readily  discerned. 

316 


316  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

It  is  now  necessary  to  consider  the  manner  in  which  the 
Salmon  rod*  should  be  held,  the  position  of  the  body,  the 
angles  through  which  it  should  move,  and  the  method  of 
applying  the  necessary  force  in  the  backward  and  forward 
casts  and  the  position  of  the  reel. 

The  Position  of  the  Salmon  Reel 

In  salmon  fly  casting,  if  the  fisherman  uses  most  commonly 
the  right-hand  cast — that  is,  the  cast  in  which  the  right  hand 
is  uppermost — the  handle  of  his  reel  should  be  facing  the 
left  hand,  for  he  can  then  most  readily  use  it  when  fishing 
out  a  cast,  or  when  playing  a  fish,  without  shifting  his  right 
or  upper  hand.  The  butt  of  the  rod  can  rest  either  in  the 
belt  socket,  or  against  the  body,  while  the  left  hand  easily 
controls  the  line  and  reel.  If  the  left-hand  cast  is  generally 
used,  the  handle  of  the  reel  should  face  toward  the  right. 
If  both  right  and  left  hand  casts  are  equally  employed  in 
casting,  then  the  position  of  the  handle  of  the  reel  may  be 
left  to  individual  choice. 

The  Salmon  Rod 

The  student  should  always  bear  in  mind  that  in  every 
method  of  casting  with  a  salmon  rod,  the  rod  has  to  move 
through  the  same  angles  and  with  similar  relative  velocities 
as  the  trout  rod,  when  it  is  employed  in  making  the  same 
kind  of  cast,  and  a  study  of  the  casts  described  under  the 
head  of  trout  casting,  Chapter  X.,  will  greatly  facilitate 
the  ability  to  cast  perfectly  with  a  salmon  rod.j 

The  salmon  rod  is  held  by  the  two  hands,  about  two  feet 
apart,    one    being    above    and    the  other  below  the  reel. 

*  For  convenience  I  shall  allude  to  the  double-handed  rod  as  the  salmon 
rod. 

t  Francis  Francis  says  : — "  A  good  trout  fisher  will  easily  become  an  expert 
at  salmon  fishing,  but  a  very  respectable  practitioner  with  the  salmon  rod 
will  have  all  his  schooling  to  do  afresh,  before  he  can  take  rank  as  a  master 
of  the  art." — A  Work  on  Angling,  1885. 


PLATE    XXXVI. 


PLATE    XXXVII. 


RAISING     THE     SALMON     ROD     IN     THE 
BACKWARD   ACTION. 


THE    CORRECT    POSITION    AT   THE    END    OF 
THE    BACKWARD    SWITCH. 


PLATE   XXXVIII. 


The  Author  on  the  Usk  Fishing  out  a  Cast. 

THE    NORMAL    POSITION    FOR   FISHING. 


METHODS  OF  CASTING  A  SALMON  FLY      317 

The  hands  grasp  the  rod  firmly,  the  thumbs  being  extended 
along  the  handle.  In  the  normal  fishing  position  the  arms 
should  be  inclined  downward,  the  hands  holding  the  rod  in 
a  nearly  horizontal  position,  one  hand  being  just  behind  the 
hip  and  the  other  m  front  of  the  body  (see  Plate  XXXVIII.). 

The  Right-handed  Overhead  Cast 

The  normal  manner  of  standing  and  holding  the  rod 
before  making  this  back  cast  is  as  follows  : — The  right  foot 
should  be  in  advance  and  pointing  in  the  plane  in  which  the 
line  has  to  travel,  the  weight  of  the  body  being  evenly 
distributed  between  the  two  feet.  J 

The  right  hand  grasps  the  handle  of  the  rod  above  the 
reel,  the  left  hand  being  below  it ;  the  right  arm,  shoulder 
and  foot  should  be  pointing  forward,  and  the  rod  held  well 
down  (see  Plate  XXXVI.) • 

The  object  of  the  back  cast  is  to  extend  the  line  in  the 
air  behind  the  fisherman,  to  a  point  opposite  to  that  at  which 
the  fly  has  to  alight  at  the  end  of  the  forward  cast. 

In  making  the  backward  cast  the  rod  is  first  raised  and 
brought  slightly  forward  with  both  hands,  so  that  its  top 
rises  vertically  upwards.  See  the  position  of  the  hands, 
arms  and  body  in  Plate  XXXIX. 

The  backward  action  is  then  made  in  the  vertical  plane  of 
the  body  by  moving  the  two  hands  in  opposite  directions, 
pulling  back  the  right  hand  and  pushing  forward  the  left 
one,  and  at  the  same  time  slightly  raising  the  rod.  The 
Diagram  16  and  those  showing  the  movements  of  the  trout 
rod  should  be  again  considered,  as  they  also  show  the  angles 
and  the  movements,  etc.,  made  by  the  salmon  rod. 

X  The  left  foot  should  not  be  in  front  unless  the  left  hand  is  uppermost  on 
the  rod,  as  it  most  certainly  detracts  from  the  command  over  the  forward 
cast.  The  right  hand  dominates  the  right  handed  cast,  therefore  the  right 
side  and  right  foot  should  be  in  such  a  position  as  to  give  it  the  greatest 
power  and  assistance. 


318  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 


Diagram  i6. 

Figures  A,  B,  C,  and  D  show  the  movements  of  the  arms  and  rod  in  the 

backward  cast. 
A,  the  general  elevation  of  the  rod  when  fishing. 
A,  B,  C,  D,  the  sweep  of  the  rod  in  its  backward  action. 
D,  the  angle  at  which  the  rod  pauses  before  commencing  the 

forward  stroke. 
D,  C,  B,  A,  The  sweep  of  the  rod  in  its  downward  action. 

The  upper,  or  right  hand,  must  be  drawn  backward  with 
an  accelerating  motion  to  a  point  just  above  the  head,  while 
at  the  same  time,  the  lower  or  left  hand,  acting  as  a  moving 
fulcrum  to  the  force  applied  by  the  right  hand,  is  forced 
forward,  the  rod  being  checked,  as  shown,  at  an  angle  of 
about  twenty-two  degrees  behind  the  vertical  line  of  the 
body.     (See  Plates  XXXVII.  and  XL.). 

The  rod,  as  it  is  raised  (see  Plate  XXXIX.),  being  retarded  at 
its  point  by  the  weight  and  frictional  resistance  of  the  water 
to  the  line,  bends  downward  and  the  right  hand  becomes  the 
dominant  power,  while  the  left  hand  is  the  secondary  power 
as  well  as  the  guiding  force  and  the  fulcrum  on  which  this 
power  works  when  making  the  back  cast,  a  point  midway 
between  the  two  hands  being  the  pivot  on  which  the  action 


PLATE   XXXIX. 


The  End  of  the  Raise  and  the  Beginning  of  the  Backward 

Switch. 

PLATE   XL. 


The  End  of  the  Back  Switch. 

NOTICE   THE    ALTERED    POSITION    OF    THE    SHOULDERS    AND    ARMS. 


METHODS  OF  CASTING  A  SALMON  FLY     319 

of  the  rod  is  centred.  The  upper  hand  will  make  similar 
curves  to  that  of  the  hand  when  using  a  single-handed  rod. 
(See  Diagram  17.) 


Diagram  17, 
The  sides  i,  2,  3  of  the  triangle  ABC  represent  the  upward,  back- 
ward and  downward  motion  of  the  upper  hand  in  the  overhead  cast 
with  a  sahnon  rod. 

The  object  of  moving  the  rod  in  a  vertical  plane  is  to  give 
absolute  accuracy  to  the  forward  cast.  Even  if  the  rod,  as 
in  some  of  the  other  methods  of  casting,  be  moved  from  one 
plane  to  another,  it  should  always  when  possible — in  order 
to  insure  accuracy — be  brought  down  in  the  vertical  plane 
in  which  is  situated  the  spot  at  which  the  fly  has  to  alight. 

The  power  in  this  backward  pull  of  the  right  hand  is 
derived  from  the  weight  and  movement  of  the  right  hand  side 
of  the  body  as  it  turns  or  twists — on  the  ankles — to  the  right, 
until  the  shoulders  are  square  with,  i.e.,  facing  the  point, 
to  which  the  fly  has  to  fall,  and  the  force  thus  originated  is 
applied  to  the  rod  through  the  right  shoulder,  arm  and  hand. 
Neither  the  right  nor  left  arm  in  this  backward  movement  is 
straightened.  The  right  elbow  is  raised  and  moved  back- 
wards sideways,  and  the  rod,  brought  vertically  back,  is 
checked  directly  above  the  top  of  the  head,  the  line  of  sight 
being  to  the  right  side  of  the  handle  of  the  rod.  The  spinal 
column  acts  as  a  vertical  centre,  the  left  shoulder  and  left 
arm  are  thrust  forward  during  the  movement,  the  head  being 
kept  absolutely  steady  and  the  eyes  fixed  in  the  direction  in 
which  the  fly  has  to  fall  (see  Plate  XXXVIL). 


320  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

If  anything  the  action  of  the  lower  hand  should  be  made 
with  less  force  than  that  used  by  the  right  hand  when 
making  the  back  cast.  The  lower  hand  should  not  be 
extended  to  the  full  length  of  the  arm,  but  should  be  brought 
to  a  sudden  stop  ere  this  be  reached,  and  the  upper  hand 
should  be  stopped  as  it  reaches  a  position  immediately 
above  the  head  (see  Plate  XXXVII.) 

In  the  preliminary  practice,  when  making  the  first  back 
cast,  the  upper  hand  should,  when  holding  the  rod,  enclose 
the  line  above  the  reel,  the  thumbs  should  be  extended 
along  the  rod,  and  the  line  should  run  out  in  a  straight  line 
in  front  of  the  student. 

Assuming  that  this  practice  is  taking  place  over  grass, 
the  point  of  the  rod  should  be  lowered  prior  to  making  the 
back  stroke,    and   the  slack  line   taken   in. 

The  rod  should  then  be  steadily  raised  in  a  vertical  plane 
to  an  angle  of  about  sixty  degrees,  and  continued  into  the 
back  cast  by  a  switching  action  precisely  similar  to  that 
used  in  the  backward  action  of  the  trout  rod,  the  force 
applied  to  the  rod  being  a  pull  which  increases  in  strength 
until  the  rod  is  checked  as  it  reaches  an  angle  of  twenty- 
two  degrees  behind  the  vertical  line  (see  Plates  XL.  and 
XLL).  The  line  in  the  latter  Plate  is  shown  as  curling 
back. 

For  the  correct  position  of  the  arms,  hand  and  rod,  at  the 
conclusion  of  the  back  cast,  see  Plate  XXXVII. 

A  pause,  slightly  longer  than  that  made  with  the  single- 
handed  rod,  is  necessary  to  allow  the  line  sufficient  time  to 
extend  itself  behind  the  fisherman,  and  at  the  end  of  this 
pause  the  forward  cast  should  be  made. 

The  Forward  Cast 

The  left  hand  is  the  dominant  power  in  the  forward  cast 
and  pulls  the  butt  end  of  the  rod  horizontally  backward 


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METHODS  OF  CASTING  A  SALMON  FLY      321 

towards  the  hip,  its  power  being  derived  from  the  left 
shoulder  as  the  body  turns — on  the  ankles — to  its  former 
position.  The  right  hand  in  this  movement  is  the  secondary 
power,  which  guides  and  forces  the  rod  down  and  acts  as  a 
moving  fulcrum. 

As  the  body  turns  or  twists  to  its  former  position,  it  thus 
supplies  the  power  through  the  shoulders,  arms  and  hands 
to  the  forward  cast. 

As  the  rod  moves  forward  and  downward,  its  point  bends 
backward  toward  the  fisherman  (see  Plate  XLIL),  and 
straightens  itself  after  it  is  checked. 

In  mentally  considering  these  instructions  it  will  be  well 
to  concentrate  the  attention  on  the  right  forefinger  and  the 
left  thumb  in  the  backward  action,  and  on  the  left  forefinger 
and  the  right  hand  thumb  in  the  forward  and  downward 
action. 

The  forward  and  downward  action  of  the  forward  cast 
should  be  checked  when  the  rod  has  reached  an  angle  of 
about  thirty  degrees  to  the  horizon,  and  the  rod  is  then 
lowered  by  bringing  the  left  hand  back  to  its  original 
position  (see  Plate  XXXVIII.) . 

I  think,  until  the  correct  backward  and  forward  motion 
of  the  rod  has  become  a  matter  of  habit,  a  great  assistance, 
in  order  to  obtain  the  correct  action,  is  to  think  of  my 
suggestion  made  under  the  head  of  '*  Trout  Fly  Casting,"  as 
to  there  being  a  portion  of  clay  pressed  on  to  the  tip  of  the 
rod,  which  has  to  be  switched  off  the  rod  in  a  horizontal 
direction.  If  the  correct  rod  movement  is  made,  a  clay  ball 
fixed  to  the  top  of  the  rod  would  be  flicked  off  either  back- 
ward or  forward,  and  it  is  by  exactly  similar  movements  of 
the  rod  that  a  perfect  backward  and  forward  extension  of 
the  line  should  be  obtained. 

The  greater  the  force  of  the  wind  against  the  fisherman 
the  lower  the  downward  impulse  of  the  rod. 

32 


322  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

The  sudden  stopping  of  the  backward  or  the  forward 
motion  of  the  rod  at  the  moment  of  its  greatest  tension  will 
give  the  flicking  off  impulse  so  essential  to  a  perfect  cast. 
The  rod  must  never  be  jerked  at  the  commencement  of  any 
stroke,  but  drawn,  the  force  gradually  increasing  up  to  the 
moment  when  the  rod  is  suddenly  checked.  The  hand 
or  hands  must  always  grasp  the  handle  of  the  rod  firmly  at 
the  conclusion  of  each  of  the  backward  and  forward  motions. 
This  grasp  will  of  necessity  produce  a  rigid  wrist,  and 
should  therefore  assist  the  sudden  check  which  is  so 
important. 

If,  therefore,  the  backward  motion  of  the  rod  and  line 
has  been  properly  made,  and  if  the  correct  forward  motion 
be  then  given  to  the  rod,  the  impetus  imparted  to  the  line 
will  be  sufficiently  great  to  pull  through  the  rings  of  the  rod 
frorti  one  to  three  yards  of  the  slack  line  between  the  hand 
and  the  reel;  this  adjunct  to  all  good  casting  is  known  as 
"  shooting  the  line."  When  fishing  it  secures  the  following 
advantages  ;  a  greater  length  in  the  cast,  less  exertion  to 
reach  the  desired  spot  with  the  fly,  greater  accuracy,  and  a 
lighter  fall  of  the  line  on  the  water.  The  line  will  only 
shoot,  however,  when  the  correct  forward  action  of  the  rod 
is  made.  In  order  to  permit  this  extension  of  the  line,  it 
should  be  released — as  with  the  trout  line — after  the  rod  is 
brought  to  a  stop  in  the  forward  cast,  and,  if  necessary,  the 
spare  line  should  be  fed  up  toward  the  lower  ring  with 
the  left  hand,  the  butt  end  of  the  rod  resting  either  against 
the  body,  or  in  the  butt-rest  in  the  belt  of  the  fisherman. 

The  Left-hand  Overhead  Cast 

In  this  cast   the  left  hand  should  be   above,  with  the 

thumb  pointing  up  the  rod,  and  right  hand  below,  the  left 

foot  and  shoulder  pointed  forward,  the  action  of  the  rod 

and  the  motion  of  the  arms  being  precisely  similar  to  the 


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METHODS  OF  CASTING  A  SALMON  FLY      323 

right  hand  cast,  the  hands  merely  changing  their  places 
on  the  rod. 

Assuming  that  practice  is  now  taking  place  over  still 
or  running  water,  the  point  of  the  rod  should  be  lowered 
well  toward  the  water  prior  to  making  the  back  stroke  ; 
the  current  will  then  take  out,  or  the  fisherman  may  take  in, 
any  slack  line,  and  as  the  rod  is  steadily  raised  accelerando 
the  line  will  rise  well  to  the  surface  until  the  fly  be  just  about 
to  leave  the  water,  when  the  action  is  ended  by  a  quickening 
backward  switch,  the  force  applied  to  the  rod  being  a  pull 
which  increases  in  strength  as  the  rod  goes  back,  culminating 
as  the  butt  of  the  rod  reaches  an  angle  of  twenty-two 
degrees  behind  the  vertical. 

The  use  of  the  double-handed  trout  and  salmon  rod  is 
nearly  always  confined  to  the  wet  fly  method  of  fishing. 
The  fly  or  flies  are  mostly  fished  across  and  down  stream, 
and  are  generally  thrown  to  an  angle  of  about  sixty  degrees 
across  the  direction  in  which  the  current  is  flowing.  The 
fly  or  flies  are  sunk  below  the  water,  and  drift  down  stream 
round  towards  a  point  immediately  below  the  fisherman, 
his  object  being  to  make  his  lure  work  in  such  a  manner  as 
to  be  easily  seen,  and  to  vary  the  appearance  it  presents  to 
the  fish. 

The  Wye  Cast. 

This  cast  for  the  salmon  rod  has  already  been  described  in 
Chapter  XV.,  and  for  the  single-handed  rod  in  Chapter  X. 

The  Side  Cast  of  the  Salmon  Rod 

The  movements  and  velocities  of  the  salmon  rod,  when 
making  the  side  cast,  are  precisely  similar  to  those  of  the 
trout  rod  described  in  Chapter  X.,  and  are  an  exact 
replica  of  the  overhead  salmon  cast  made  in  the  horizontal 
instead  of  the  vertical  plane. 


324  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

The  Diagrams  9  and  12  can  again  be  referred  to,  and,  if 
considered  as  being  drawn  in  the  horizontal  instead  of  the 
vertical  plane,  will  show  the  exact  angles  and  bends  which  a 
two-handed  rod  should  make  in  this  cast,  the  two  hands 
being  employed  instead  of  one,  and  moving  against  one 
another  in  the  horizontal  plane  instead  of  the  vertical  one. 

Before  making  the  backward  cast,  the  rod  should  be 
lowered  and  all  slack  line  taken  in.  The  rod  should  then 
be  raised  in  the  vertical  plane — in  order  to  get  the  line  well 
on  the  surface  of  the  water — and  then  brought  down  side- 
ways until  it  is  about  forty  degrees  to  the  right  hand  of  the 
fisherman  as  he  faces  the  direction  from  which  the  fly  is 
being  raised,  and  about  thirty  degrees  above  the  horizon. 

It  is  then  switched  back  with  a  slight  upward  tendency 
to  the  angle  of  twenty-two  degrees  horizontally  behind  an 
imaginary  line  drawn  at  right  angles  to  the  fisherman. 
It  should  then  be  pointing  at  about  thirty-five  degrees 
above  the  horizontal,  and  after  the  necessary  pause  to  allow 
the  backward  extension  of  the  line,  the  forward  cast  is 
made,  the  rod  being  checked  before  it  reaches  the  direct 
line  in  which  the  fly  has  to  fall. 

The  Gal  way  Cast 

This  effective  cast  has  already  been  described  for  the  single 
handed  rod  (see  page  186)  and  if  these  instructions  are  care- 
fully studied  the  Galway  cast  can  easily  be  made  with  the 
salmon  rod. 

The  rod  is  first  raised  to  an  angle  of  about  sixty  degrees,  the 
hands,  arm,  rod,  etc.,  being  held  as  in  the  overhead  cast, 
the  thumbs  up,  the  knuckles  down,  both  arms  bent  and  the 
reel  below  the  rod,  the  line  being  extended  well  in  front  of  the 
fisherman. 

As  the  body  turns  in  the  direction  of  the  back  cast, 
the  weight  is  transferred  from  the  right  to  the  left  foot. 


PLATE    XLIII. 


i 


•f* 


"S 


The  Galway  Cast. 


AFTER  THE  BODY  HAS  TURNED  AWAY  FROM  THE  WATER  AND  BEFORE  THE  RIGHT  FOOT  HAS  BEEN  BROUGHT 

FORWARD. 

PLATE    XLIV. 


t 


The  Galway  Cast. 


AFTER  THE  BACK  CAST  HAS  BEEN  MADE  AND  AFTER  THE  BODY  HAS  TURNED  FORWARD  AGAIN,  BUT  BEFORE  THE 
RIGHT  FOOT  HAS  BEEN  BROUGHT  FORWARD. 


METHODS  OF  CASTING  A  SALMON  FLY      325 

the  latter  pivoting  round  on  the  toe  as  the  body  turns,  and 
supporting  the  weight  of  the  body  until  the  foot  is 
brought  forward.  During  this  movement  the  position  and 
direction  of  the  rod  remain  about  the  same,  the  point 
merely  rising  from  ten  to  fifteen  degrees  in  the  air  so  as  to 
keep  the  rod  in  touch  with  the  line.  The  rod  is  twisted  so 
that  the  reel  now  becomes  uppermost,  the  thumbs  and 
knuckles  also  reversing  their  positions.  The  arms  remain 
bent  and  the  body  assumes  the  position  which  it  should 
have  at  the  conclusion  of  an  overhead  backward  cast. 
The  elbows,  etc.,  of  the  fisherman  are  moved  in  sympathy 
with  the  action. 

The  right  foot  is  now  brought  forward  and  as  this  is  being 
done  the  forward  and  downward  switch  is  made,  but  in  a 
direction  which  avoids  any  possibiUty  of  danger,  so  that 
in  reality  what  should  have  been  a  backward  cast  now 
becomes,  owing  to  the  turn  of  the  body  etc.,  a  forward  cast 
in  the  backward  direction.  The  rod  however,  is  not  brought 
down  to  its  usual  level,  but  is  checked  at  an  angle  of  about 
fifty  degrees  above  the  horizon. 

While  the  line  is  extending  itself  the  body  again  turns 
round  to  the  left,  and  faces  the  direction  from  which  the  line 
has  originally  been  taken  and  to  which  the  fly  has  now  to 
be  directed.  The  right  foot  again  swings  forward,  and,  as  by 
this  time  the  line  has  fully  extended  itself,  the  forward  and 
downward  switch  has  to  be  made  as  in  the  overhead  cast. 
Plates  XLIII.  and  XLIV.  clearly  show  the  foot  and  the 
body  movements  during  this  cast.  In  Plate  XLIV.  the 
foot  is  shown  leaving  the  ground  and  the  forward  cast 
being  made,  the  line  being  seen  as  extended. 

The  Galway  cast  is  a  very  pretty  one,  and  is  of  use  when 
for  instance,  an  opening  occurs  amid  the  trees  behind  the 
fisherman,  and  when  such  trees  are  within  the  radius  of  the 
back  cast  of  his  line,  and  when  a  loop  or  curved  side  cast 


26  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

cannot  be  made.  In  casting  backward  in  the  ordinary  over- 
head manner  it  is  nearly  always  impossible  for  the  fisherman 
to  guide  his  line  accurately,  and  were  such  an  attempt  made 
when  the  open  space  is  small,  the  backward  cast  would  result 
in  the  line  and  fly  hitting  the  trees  instead  of  being  directed 
safely  through  them  as  described  above. 

The  Galway  cast  can  be  best  practised  as  a  substitute  for 
the  ordinary  overhead  method  of  casting  a  fly  backward 
and  forward  in  one  plane.  When  the  Galway  Cast  is  thus 
perfected  it  can  be  introduced  into  the  Wye  cast,  and  made 
directly  after  the  lifting  and  side  swing  movement  into  the 
new  plane  of  the  latter  cast  has  been  made. 

In  Plate  XXXII.  the  fisherman  is  raising  his  rod  prior 
to  turning.     In  Plate  XXXIII.  he  has  turned. 

The  time  that  a  salmon  line  of  thirty-five  yards  in  length 
will  take  to  extend  itself  after  the  conclusion  of  either  the 
backward  or  the  forward  cast  will  be  about  one-and-a-half 
seconds,  thus  giving  ample  time  for  the  forward  turning 
movement  I  have  described  above  to  take  place.  A  point 
which  the  fisherman  should  now  remember  is  that  he  will 
have  to  make  one  whole  turn  in  order  to  complete  the  Galway 
cast  with  the  salmon  rod,  and  that  while  making  both  the 
backward  and  the  forward  J^alf  turns,  the  rod — beyond 
being  lifted  in  the  plane  in  which  it  lies — has  not  to  be  moved 
to  either  side  of  that  plane. 

If  it  be  desired  to  introduce  the  Galway  variation  of 
the  back  cast  into  the  Wye  cast  movement,  the  rod  is  first 
lowered  to  the  water  downstream,  and  any  slack  line  is 
gathered  in  with  the  left  hand.  The  rod  is  then  lifted  to 
an  angle  of  between  fifty  and  seventy  degrees  (see 
Plate  XXXIL),  the  body  and  rod  sweep  round  until  they 
are  facing  across  stream  in  the  direction  in  which  the  line  has 
to  fall,  and  the  turning  movement  (Plate  XXXIII.)  of  the 
Galway    cast    is    then    made,    the    back  cast   is   finished 


PLATE    XLV. 


The  Loop  Cast — Rod  Coming  Forward. 


METHODS  OF  CASTING  A  SALMON  FLY     327 

as  above   described,  and  the   turning  movement  is  again 
accomplished  and  the  forward  cast  made. 

Curved  Casts 

If  the  rod,  and  line  attached  to  it,  be  held  upright  and  its 
upper  end  by  a  continuous  action  moved  round  in  a  circle 
horizontally  above  the  head,  the  line  will  follow  the  action 
of  the  point  of  the  rod,  and  circle  round  in  a  continuous  loop. 
The  greater  the  force  applied,  the  longer  will  be  the  line  which 
can  be  made  to  follow  the  point  of  the  rod,  but  directly  a 
new  movement  of  the  rod  is  made  the  line  will  at  once 
leave  the  circular  curve  in  which  it  has  been  travelling,  and 
will  follow  the  direction  which  the  point  of  the  rod  has  taken. 
There  must  however,  be  no  pause  in  the  motion  of  the  rod, 
the  curved  action  must  always  be  made  in  a  steady  swing, 
which  is  merged  into  a  direct  cast,  towards  the  spot  at 
which  the  line  has  to  fall,  and  to  which  the  body  should  be 
turned.  If  it  be  necessary  or  desirable  to  make  any  back 
cast  in  a  circular  manner,  the  circling  backward  movement 
should  not  be  continued  beyond  the  plane  in  which  the 
forward  cast  has  to  be  made,  i.e.,  directly  the  rod  in  its 
backward  circling  movement  has  arrived  at  a  point  immedi- 
ately in  a  line  with  the  desired  direction,  the  movement, 
without  its  speed  being  checked,  should  be  altered  into  the 
forward  overhead  cast  in  the  desired  direction.  In  the 
variation  of  the  Wye  cast  mentioned  on  p.  337,  diagram  22, 
such  a  horizontal  sweep  is  made  in  the  back  cast,  as  the  fly 
is  lifted  from  the  water.  The  principle  by  which  this  move- 
ment is  affected  is  of  the  greatest  value  in  making  the  loop, 
the  switch,  the  Spey,  or  any  curved  casts.  If  the  reader 
will  turn  to  Chapter  X.  he  will  find  these  three  casts 
exhaustively  dealt  with  as  regards  the  single  handed  trout 
rod,  but  containing  theoretically  all  the  principles  which  he 
will  have  to  adopt  when  making  these  casts  with  the  salmon 


328  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

rod.     I   shall   however  again  go   over  the  casts   as  they 
should  be  made  with  the  double  handed  rod. 

If  the  position  in  which  the  fisherman  stands  with  regard 
to  natural  or  artificial  dangers  does  not  permit  the  extension 
of  his  line  in  a  backward  direction  either  in  the  overhead  or 
the  side  casts  he  may  still  be  able  to  extend  it  in  front  of  him 
by  making  the  Loop,  the  Switch  or  the  Spey  cast. 

The  Loop  Cast  made  in  one  Plane 

The  cast  which  is  known  as  the  Loop  cast  is  one  in  which 
a  complete  loop  should  be  made  with  the  line,  and  although 
the  point  of  the  rod  does  not  describe  so  complete  a  circle 
as  that  taken  by  the  line  yet  its  whole  movement  is  of  a 
circular  nature,  which  is  directly  responsible  for  this  result. 

The  Loop  cast  may  be  considered  as  the  parent  cast  of  the 
Switch  and  the  Spey  casts. 

We  will  assume  that  the  fisherman  is  standing  in  such  a 
position  when  he  is  fishing  that  he  must  bring  the  rod  back 
more  or  less  in  a  vertical  plane,  that  his  line  and  fly  lie 
extended  in  front  of  him  on  the  water  and  that  he  wishes  to 
return  them  in  the  same  plane,  but  that  he  cannot  extend  the 
line  and  fly  more  than  a  few  feet  behind  him.  The  Loop 
cast  should  then  be  made  as  follows  : — 

The  rod,  when  it  is  held  with  the  right  hand  uppermost, 
is  raised  and  brought  back  steadily  until  it  is  inclined  at  an 
angle  of  about  twenty-two  degrees  behind  and  to  the  right  of 
the  shoulder.  The  line,  following  this  movement,  will  be  thus 
brought  more  or  less  to  the  surface  and  from  there  will  run  up 
to  the  rod  point  in  a  slight  curve.  (See  Plate  XLV.).  This  move- 
ment is  then  turned  into  a  forward  and  downward  switch. 

In  this  Plate  it  will  be  noticed  that  the  forward  movement 
has  commenced.  The  downward  switch  is  made  precisely 
as  is  the  downward  switch  in  the  overhead  cast,  the  action 
being  finished  well  down. 


METHODS  OF  CASTING  A  SALMON  FLY     329 

If  the  cast  is  properly  made,  a  perfect  loop  will  run 
along  the  water,  finally  extending  the  fly  at  the  extreme 
end  of  the  line.  It  will  be  seen  from  Plate  XLV.  that 
the  line  is  being  sent  forward  in  the  vertical  plane. 

In  this  cast  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  rod  has  to 
be  inclined  a  little  to  the  right  of  the  fisherman,  and  not 
brought  directly  behind  him,  or  otherwise  in  his  forward 
effort  the  loop — which  has  been  extended  slightly  behind 
him — will  in  its  forward  course  foul  either  his  elbow  or  the 
rod  in  its  downward  action. 


The  Loop  Cast  made  from  Left  to  Right 

This  variation  of  the  Loop  cast  bears  a  similar  relationship 
to  the  Loop  cast,  that  the  Wye  cast  does  to  the  Overhead 
cast. 

We  will  assume  that  the  fisherman  is  desirous  of  directing 
his  fly  out  of  one  plane  into  another,  and  that  in  the  first 
instance  he  is  standing  on  a  shelving  bank,  and,  having 
fished  out  his  cast,  is  desirous  of  sending  his  fly  (which  has 
drifted  down  stream  to  the  left)  towards  the  right  and  across 
stream.  Assuming  that  his  length  of  line  is  not  greater 
than  he  can  comfortably  use,  the  rod  is  first  raised  vertically 
and  brought  backhandedly  to  the  left,  and  to  an  angle  of 
twenty-two  degrees  behind  the  left  shoulder  ;  while  this  is 
being  done  he  should  turn  to  the  plane  in  which  his  fly  has 
to  be  projected  ;  he  then  makes  his  forward  and  downward 
switch  as  formerly  described.  Plate  XLVI.  will  illustrate 
this  variation  of  the  Loop  cast,  and  will  show  the  curve  made 
by  the  line  ;  the  disturbance  on  the  water  indicates  the 
position  from  which  the  line  has  been  picked  up,  and  the 
curved  line  in  the  air  shows  the  direction  in  which  it  has 
been  projected.  The  fly  will  be  noticed  just  leaving  the 
water. 


330  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

The  Same  Cast  from  Right  to  Left 

We  will  now  assume  that  the  fisherman  wishes  to  cast  from 
the  right  towards  the  left  hand.  The  rod  is  brought  back 
in  this  cast  to  the  right  of  the  right  shoulder,  and  to  a  similar 
backward  angle,  the  body  being  turned  as  this  is  done,  and 
the  downward  switch  made  as  before.  Plate  XLVII.  shows 
the  loop  as  this  cast  is  made.  Either  of  these  casts  are 
(as  explained  on  page  195)  excellent  substitutes  for  the 
*'  Spey  Throw  "  and  they  can  both  be  made  with  equal 
ease  when  the  left  hand  is  uppermost. 

The  Switch  Cast 

In  the  Switch  cast  it  must  be  assumed  that  the  fisherman 
is  standing  under  a  bridge,  or  under  a  tree,  etc.,  that  he 
cannot  raise  his  rod  to  a  greater  angle  than  forty  or  fifty 
degrees  above  the  horizon,  and  that  he  cannot  extend  his 
line  to  any  distance  upstream.  He  will  therefore  have  to 
adopt  a  method  of  making  his  cast  which  bears  a  similar 
relationship  to  the  Loop  Cast  that  the  Side  Cast  bears  to 
the  Overhead  Cast. 

We  will  suppose  that  the  line  and  fly  are  extended  down 
stream,  and  that  the  fisherman  wishes  to  make  a  fresh  cast 
somewhere  in  the  same  direction.  His  rod  is  first  lifted  in 
order  to  get  the  line  well  on  the  top  of  the  water.  It  is  then 
drawn  back  sideways  through  the  same  angle  as  that  made 
by  the  rod  in  the  side  cast,  continued  upwards  as  far  as 
circumstances  will  permit,  and  switched  forward  in  the 
direction  in  which  he  wishes  his  fly  to  go.  The  first  part, 
as  is  the  case  with  the  Loop  and  the  Spey,  must  be  made  in 
one  continuous  action,  and  it  is  not  until  the  forward  and 
slightly  downward  portion  of  the  motion  has  to  be  made  that 
the  switching  impulse  has  to  be  given  to  the  rod. 

In  every  cast  with  the  double  handed  rod  it  must  not  be 
forgotten  that  the  dominant  force  in  the  backward  and  lifting 


METHODS  OF  CASTING  A  SALMON  FLY     331 

action  is  made  through  the  upper  hand,  and  that  the 
dominant  force  in  the  forward  and  downward  actions  of 
the  rod  are  made  through  the  lower  hand. 

The  Spey  Throw 

Those  of  my  readers  who  have  studied  the  instructions  on 
the  method  of  making  the  Loop,  the  Switch  and  the  Spey 
casts  with  the  single  handed  trout  rod  will  find  but  little 
difficulty  in  applying  those  instructions  in  order  to  make  the 
Spey  throw  with  the  double  handed  rod.  It  was  generally 
supposed  that  in  order  to  make  this  cast  in  the  best  possible 
manner  one  should  have  the  advantage  of  at  least  three 
factors  : — A  rapid  river,  a  long  and  heavy  rod,  a  heavy  line. 
Such  factors,  while  they  may  aid  this  method  of  casting, 
and  are  generally  characteristic  of  the  salmon  rods  and  lines 
used  at  the  Spey  side,  cannot  be  claimed  as  being  absolutely 
necessary  for  the  Spey  throw. 

I  have  been  coaching  clients  in  this  throw  and  its 
variations  for  over  seven  years,  and  I  have  had  some 
of  the  finest  fishermen  in  the  world  as  my  clients,  also  I 
notice  in  a  recent  article  written  by  Mr.  Marston  that  one 
of  these  clients  has  been  able  to  extend  his  salmon  line 
for  a  distance  of  over  fifty  yards,  with  a  modification  of 
the  Spey  throw,  and  Mr.  Marston  adds  that  this  gentleman 
invariably  fishes  his  dry  fly  in  a  similar  method  of  casting. 

I  may  then  claim  that  my  methods  are  practicable  and 
that  it  must  be  evident  that  in  the  Spey  throw,  and  in  some 
of  its  variations,  the  fly  and  line  can  be  projected  as  lightly 
as  it  can  be  thrown  in  the  overhead  method.  Further  than 
this,  when  once  my  method  of  casting  a  fly  backward  and 
forward  in  the  overhead  manner  is  acquired,  any  of  my 
pupils  can  attain  perfection  in  the  Loop  cast,  the  Switch 
cast  or  the  Spey  throw  with  the  dry  fly  rod  in  from  one  or 
two  additional  one-hour  lessons. 


332  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

It  will  therefore  be  recognized  that  the  difficulties  which 
have  hitherto  overshadowed  this  useful  cast  need  no 
longer  deter  the  everyday  fisherman  from  attempting  to 
accomplish  it. 

The  Spey  throw  with  the  salmon  rod  is  a  variation  of  the 
Loop  and  Switch  casts,  and  when  once  the  Spey  throw  is 
acquired — as  in  the  Loop  cast — in  the  right  handed  method, 
it  can  be  immediately  and  correctly  made  in  the  left-handed 
method,'that  is  to  say,  that  when  once  my  method  of  making 
any  cast  into  a  habit  is  acquired  with  the  right  hand  upper- 
most on  the  rod,  then  it  is  possible  to  make  this  cast  with  the 
left  hand  uppermost  and  without  any  further  instruction. 

We  will  suppose  that  the  fisherman  is  standing  on  the  right 
barJi^  of  his  river,  that  he  has  fished  out  his  cast  and  that  the 
line  is  now  extended  downstream  under  his  own  bank,  but 
that  he  cannot  make  the  ordinary  Wye  cast  across  stream, 
as  there  are  trees  behind  him  rendering  any  backward  cast 
impossible.  He  will  thus  have  to  make  the  Spey  throw, 
and  in  this  case  in  the  right  hand  manner.  He  first  lowers 
his  rod  well  to  the  water,  taking  in  all  the  slack  line  between 
the  fly  and  the  top  ring  of  his  rod.     He  then  raises  his  rod 


Diagram  i8.  Diagram  19. 

Lifting  the  rod  in  the  Spey  The  up-stream  swing, 

throw. 

THE  SPEY  THROW. 


METHODS  OF  CASTING  A  SALMON  FLY      333 


vertically  in  order  to  bring  the  line  well  to  the  surface  of 
the  water  (see  Diagram  18),  at  the  same  time  also 
turning  in  the  direction  to  which  he  wishes  to  cast  his  fly. 
He  should  then  lower  his  rod  towards  the  water  again,  and, 
without  pausing,  bring  it  up-stream  with  a  steady  motion, 
finishing  this  movement  at  an  angle  of  twenty-two  degrees 
to  his  right,  as  in  the  side  cast  (see  Diagram  19).  The 
line  in  this  movement  is  not  switched  from  the  water, 
but  is  drawn  along  its  surface,  and  at  the  conclusion  of  the 
side  movement  the  rod  is  brought  round  and  up  in  spiral 
curve    as   shown  in    Diagram    20,  and   is    then    switched 


Diagram  20. 

The  backward  and 

upward  swing 


Diagram  21. 
The  forward  and  downward  switch 
of  the  rod. 
THE  SPEY  THROW. 


forward  in  the  direction  in  which  he  wishes  his  fly  to  fall 
(see  Diagram  21),  taking  care  in  the  downward  action 
that  his  rod  does  not  come  into  collision  with  the  line  as 
it  rises  from  the  water. 

If  he  be  fishing  with  a  considerable  length  of  line  out, 
instead  of  swinging  his  rod  with  a  steady  motion  up-stream, 
sufficient  switch  should  be  given  to  this  action  to  lift  the  line 
and  fly  from  the  water  and  to  deposit  them  more  or  less  on 
the  surface  of  the  water  above  the  plane  in  which  he  is 


334  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

going    to   cast,  the  rest    of  the   motion  being   as  before. 

Plate  XLVIII.  shows  the  alteration  of  direction  in  this 
cast,  the  photographer  having  been  able  to  get  the  line  as  it 
circles  through  the  air. 

In  Plate  XLIX.  the  photographer  has  taken  the  line  at 
the  moment  after  the  up-stream  switch  has  been  made,  and 
it  will  be  noticed  that  the  line  has  followed  the  raising  of  the 
rod  as  well  as  its  up-stream  motion,  and  is  just  beginning  to 
extend  itself  behind  the  fisherman,  who  is  in  the  act  of  finish- 
ing his  turn  toward  the  direction  in  which  the  fly  has  to  go, 
the  spiral  and  backward  raising  motion  of  the  rod  being  just 
indicated.  By  the  time  he  has  completed  his  turn  and 
swung  his  rod  round  behind  him,  a  considerable  portion  of 
the  line  will  have  deposited  itself  on  the  water  on  his  right 
hand  side,  and  the  remainder  will  be  circling  round  and 
behind  him.  It  will  be  seen  that  in  this  case  no  possible 
collision  can  take  place  between  the  line  and  the  rod  (see 
Plate  XLVIII.). 

The  "  SuiR  "  Cast 

With  regard  to  the  first  variation  of  the  Spey  cast,  it  is 
difficult  when  fishing  with  a  long  line  to  make  the 
downward  switch  across  stream  without  fouling  the  line, 
and  this  has  led  to  another  very  interesting  variation  of 
this  useful  cast. 

When  fishing  the  Suir  river  in  the  South  of  Ireland,  the 
water  bailiff  of  my  host  showed  me  a  cast  which  effectually 
overcomes  this  danger  of  fouling  the  line.  The  fisherman 
in  question  could  give  no  name  to  this  cast,  and  so  I  have 
ventured  to  suggest  a  name  for  it  myself — the  "  Suir  "  cast. 

When  it  is  desired  to  make  a  fresh  cast  across  the  stream, 
and  when  the  backward  switch  cannot  be  made,  the  rod  is 
Ufted  and  brought  up-stream  as  in  the  Spey  cast.  When 
the  rod  has  reached  its  up-stream  limit,  instead  of  being 


METHODS  OF  CASTING  A  SALMON  FLY     335 

brought  round,  up  and  over,  as  described  under  the  Spey 
cast,  it  is  brought  forward  again  down-stream,  the  butt 
resting  against  the  hip,  the  hands  are  changed,  and  the  left 
foot  is  advanced,  the  rod  being  then  brought  up  and 
backward  over  the  left  shoulder  immediately  away  from 
the  direction  in  which  the  fly  has  to  fall  and  the  fly  is  then 
switched  forward. 

The  whole  of  this  movement  is  continuous,  the  rod  being 
moved  backward,  forward,  and  up  and  over  the  left  shoulder 
as  steadily  as  a  golf  club  should  be  raised,  the  acceleration 
forward  into  the  downward  switch  commencing  when  the 
rod  has  reached  an  angle  of  about  twenty-two  degrees 
behind  the  vertical  hne  of  the  body. 

This  cast  is  very  easily  acquired,  and  should  be  practised  at 
first  with  a  hne  from  about  twenty  to  twenty-five  yards  long. 

I  have  never  seen  anyone  using  it,  but  I  have  found  it 
extremely  useful  when  a  tree  or  branches  on  the  up-stream 
side  has  prevented  me  from  bringing  the  rod  up,  round  and 
backward  after  the  up-stream  movement  of  the  rod  in  the 
Spey  cast. 

This  cast  has  this  advantage — that  more  line  is  lifted 
from  the  water  and  brought  up-stream,  owing  to  the  up- 
stream motion,  than  is  the  case  in  the  left-handed  loop  cast. 

A  Variation  of  the  Wye  Cast  when  Danger  is  Behind 

My  reader  will  kindly  imagine  that  we  are  fishing  in 
Norway,  and  standing  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Namsen  River, 
below  the  Fiscum  Foss.  High  above  our  heads  we  can  see  the 
river,  broad  as  the  Thames  at  Richmond,  as  it  sweeps  over 
the  edge  of  the  falls,  and  appreciate  its  immense  volume  of 
water  as,  thundering  in  our  ears,  shaking  the  rocks  on  which 
we  stand,  and  covering  us  with  spray,  it  plunges  downwards 
a  sheer  200  feet  into  the  enormous  salmon  pool,  which 
constitutes  the  end  of  the  Namsen  as  a  salmon  river.     If 


336  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

you  look  across  the  water  toward  the  pine-crowned  cliffs, 
guarding  the  approach  to  the  river  on  the  opposite  side, 
which  run  from  the  falls  down  stream  to  the  bottom  of  the 
rapids,  you  will  notice  how  the  surface  of  the  river,  as  it 
leaves  the  troubled  waters  of  the  head  pool,  is  broken  in  its 
first  smooth  glide  by  an  almost  submerged  brown  and  grey 
rock  some  thirty  yards  from  that  on  which  we  are  standing, 
and  some  twenty  yards  from  the  precipice  opposite.  There, 
at  any  time  between  May  and  September,  resting  after  his 
journey  from  the  sea,  in  the  eddy  of  that  rock,  so  long  as  it 
shows  above  water,  will  generally  be  found  a  good  fish.  If  you 
can  present  your  fly  in  an  attractive  manner,  you  will  probably 
find  him  in  a  taking  humour,  and  when  happily  you  may  be 
lucky  enough  to  gaff  him,  and  try  the  same  cast  over  again 
later  on,  you  will  probably  find  another  fish  in  his  place. 

You  will  see  at  once  that  you  cannot  cast  for  that  salmon 
in  any  other  position  save  from  the  jutting  slippery  and 
spray-drenched  rock  on  which  we  stand  ;  and  to  make  such 
a  cast  more  difficult,  twenty  yards  behind  us  rise  the  preci- 
pitous walls  of  the  river  channel,  against  the  iron  sides  of 
which  the  overhead  or  side  cast  backward  of  the  line  will  most 
assuredly  bring  your  fly  with  disastrous  effects. 

To  present  your  fly  attractively,  your  cast  should  be 
sufficiently  long  to  drop  the  fly  three  yards  at  least  beyond 
the  rock,  so  that  it  will  then  sweep  round  from  the  farther 
side,  and  appear  just  over  the  salmon's  position. 

This,  however,  means  a  fairly  long  throw,  of  thirty-three 
yards  at  least,  and  although  you  can  shoot  the  line,  it  is 
still  evident  that  the  wall  behind  will  preclude  your  extending 
the  line  in  that  direction  for  the  remaining  thirty  yards. 

We  cannot  use  the  Spey  throw  from  our  only  standing- 
place,  for  you  will  see  how  those  low-lying  rocks  run  out  into 
the  stream  below  us,  and  our  fly,  in  the  up-stream  drag  of  the 
Spey  cast,  would  most  assuredly  come  to  grief  among  them. 


METHODS  OF  CASTING  A  SALMON  FLY     337 

The  axiom  that  *'  the  line  must  follow  every  motion  of  the 
point  of  the  rod,"  suggests  a  way  out  of  the  difficulty. 
We  must  make  a  curved  cast  which  is  a  variation  of  a  Wye 
cast  (see  Plate  XXXIL),  and  one  which  is  most  useful  when 
fishing  from  a  coracle. 

The  line,  at  the  moment  in  which  you  make  the  forward 
cast,  must  not  be  extended  backward,  or  the  fly  would  hit 
the  rocks  behind,  and  therefore  it  must  be  curved  at  the 
moment  of  the  forward  cast  and  every  portion  of  the  line 
must  be  under  the  influence  of  a  circular  sweep. 


Diagram  22. 

H.  The  Pivot  of  the  Rod  Motion. 

B.  The  Direction  of  the  Rock. 

C  A.  Shows  the  line  as  the  rod  is  brought  round  in  the  upstream 

and  backward  curve. 
C  D.  The  upstream  and  backward  curve  of  the  rod  tip. 
E  B.  The  Une  as  it  is  extended  forward. 
H  C,  H  D,  and  H  E.  The  position  of  the  rod  as  the  cast  is  being  made. 

The  wind  is  up-stream  from  the  left  side,  and  this  will  help 
you  in  making  the  curl  to  the  right.  You  have  almost 
thirty-six  yards  of  line  extended  down-stream  and  first 
lowering  the  rod  point,  you  take  in  about  four  yards 
of  line,  and  then  proceed  as  in  the  Wye  cast  (see  Chap.  XV.) 
to  lift  your  rod  vertically,  and  then  to  bring  it  round  in 
front  of  you  to  the  right  up-stream.  You  then  curve  it 
backward  in  a  continuous  sweep,  and  as   the   rod   point 

23 


338  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

comes  immediately  behind  you  convert  this  movement  into 
the  forward  switch  in  the  direction  of  the  rock  (see 
Diagram  22). 

The  line  following  the  path  your  rod  has  taken 
will  confine  itself  to  a  more  or  less  extended  curve, 
and  will,  if  the  stroke  is  done  properly,  have  avoided  the 
dangerous  face  of  the  cliffs  behind  you.  When  the  cast  has 
been  properly  made,  you  will  be  rewarded  by  seeing  your 
fly  falling  lightly  on  the  far  side  of  the  rock,  and  may  be, 
as  I  have  seen,  a  fish  plunging  upward,  and  then  downward, 
with  your  fly  in  his  mouth.  You  will  feel  the  ecstatic  and 
electric  thrill  as  the  first  strain  of  the  salmon  comes  on  your 
line,  and  thank  Providence  that  your  fly  has  not  been 
snapped  in  half  by  the  rocks  behind  you. 

The  Suir  River  cast  described  above  would  be  a  useful 
one  in  this  case. 


CHAPTER    XVIII 

THE    SALMON    FLY     VERSUS    THE    SPINNING    LURE, 
AND    SOME    RECORD    TAKES 

The  salmon  fly  and  the  spinning  lure — Colour  of  fly — Size  of  lures — 
The  number  of  hooks  on  a  lure — Advantages  of  the  spinning  lure 
— ^The  selection  of  a  salmon  lure — ^The  Welsh  Wye — Some  record 
takes  of  salmon — British  Isles — Another  record — A  fifty-pound 
salmon. 

The  Salmon  Fly  and  The  Spinning  Lure 
The  correct  solution  of  the  problem  as  to  the  appetite  or 
otherwise  of  the  salmon  when  in  fresh  water  should  have  a 
very  decided  influence  on  the  selection  of  flies  with  which 
they  are  to  be  tempted.  If  it  be  an  appetite  which  induces 
the  pursuit  of  the  lure,  then  the  desire  of  the  fish  will  have 
to  be  considered  as  an  important  factor,  and  the  fly  to  be 
used  should  be  one  which,  when  it  is  cast  in  the  particular 
water  to  be  fished,  appears  in  the  guise  of  the  most  familiar 
and  best-liked  food  upon  which  the  salmon  has  most  recently 
been  feeding.  The  great  difficulty,  however,  which  will 
beset  the  fisherman  is  that,  among  the  extraordinary  variety 
of  lures  presented  to  the  salmon,  there  are  but  few  which 
can  be  claimed  as  favouring  the  appearance  of  any  well- 
known  or  favourite  food  of  the  salmon,  and  he  will,  therefore, 
be  obliged  to  depend  on  the  experience  gained  in  the  parti- 
cular locality  in  which  he  is  fishing  for  the  most  likely  fly 
to  use.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  it  may  be  (as  I  advance) 
that  destruction  is  the  motive  which  induces  the  pursuit  of 
a  moving  object  by  the  salmon,  then  the  particular  colour, 
size,  and  shape  should  be  selected  which  will  most  readily 

339 


340  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

and  naturally  attract  the  attention  and  excite  this  destru- 
tive  impulse  of  the  salmon. 

Colour  of  Fly 

It  is  recognized  that  certain  peculiarities  of  colour  attract 
the  attention  of  the  salmon  more  in  some  rivers  than 
in  others,  although  the  natural  life  existing  in  the  different 
waters  is  identically  the  same. 

It  has  occurred  to  me  that  this  partiality  by  the  salmon 
for  certain  colours  in  certain  streams  may  be  due  to  the 
different  effects  produced  on  the  subaqueous  appearance 
of  water  life,  by  the  geological  strata  of  the  country  affecting 
the  bed  and  the  banks  of  the  river,  the  natural  differences 
of  the  foliage  and  the  vegetation  through  which  it  passes, 
and  its  altitude  above  the  sea.  The  effects  of  cloud  and 
sunshine,  clear  or  thick  water,  sunlight  or  shade,  reflection 
or  shadow,  depths  or  shallows,  spring  or  autumn,  rapid  or 
slow  current,  will  all  be  varied  by  the  above  factors,  and 
natural  phenomena  will,  therefore,  tend  to  alter  at  least 
the  appearance,  if  not  the  colour,  of  the  subaqueous  life  in 
different  waters.  Whatever  purpose  the  salmon  has  in 
his  pursuit  of  a  moving  object,  it  is  certain  that  unless 
scared  by  former  experience,  he  will  most  readily  attack 
the  object  which  has  the  most  natural  appearance  and 
movement. 

As  the  ever-varying  influences  of  natural  and  meteoro- 
logical phenomena  will  affect  the  colour  of  moving  objects, 
as  hunger  may  not  cause  the  attack  of  the  fish,  and  as 
destruction,  from  whatever  cause  it  arises,  certainly  is 
the  result,  the  colour  of  the  lure  appears  to  be  secondary  in 
importance  to  its  having  a  natural  movement  and  being  of  a 
moderate  size,  and  the  latter  factors  should  therefore,  in  my 
opinion,  be  the  basis  dominating  the  appearance  of  the  lure 
which  should  be  chosen. 


SALMON  FLY,  SPINNING  LURE,  ETC.         341 

On  page  348  will  be  found  a  letter  from  Captain  De  Winton 
the  happy  possessor  of  one  of  the  best  stretches  of  salmon 
water  in  Great  Britain,  the  Nyth,  situated  some  eight 
miles  below  Builth,  on  the  Wye. 

The  successful  fly  used  by  Captain  De  Winton,  when 
making  his  wonderful  spring  record  of  308  pounds  of  salmon 
in  one  day,  was  the  "  Thunder  and  Lightning." 

This  particular  stretch  of  water  cuts  its  way  in  a  succession 
of  runs,  rapids,  and  most  promising  salmon  pools  through 
the  Silurian  slate  of  this  part  of  Wales.  The  country  on  both 
banks  is  high  and  well-wooded,  and  the  bottom  of  the  river 
is  dark  and  rocky.  Hence,  if  one  had  to  choose  a  fly  which 
would  harmonize  with  the  character  of  this  part  of  the  river, 
one  could  not  make  a  better  selection  than  the  '*  Thunder 
and  Lightning."  This  fly  is  generally  recommended  and  is 
a  favourite  of  my  own  when  fishing  those  Welsh  rivers  which 
possess  similar  characteristics  to  those  of  the  Wye  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  Nyth  fishing. 

Some  idea  of  the  colouring  of  the  river  is  shown  in 
Plate  L,  this  part  of  the  river.  Lady  Alexander  Paget' s 
water,  being  about  a  mile  from  Captain  De  Winton' s  Nyth. 

The  letter  from  Her  Grace,  the  Duchess  of  Bedford,  on 
page  351,  shows  that  her  successful  fly,  the  '*  Black  Dog," 
was  also  one  of  a  dark  colouring,  and  that  the  River  Tay, 
as  shown  in  the  background  of  Plate  LI.  possesses  some  of 
the  dark  characteristics  of  the  Wye. 

The  favourite  flies  used  on  each  river  should  always  be 
tried,  especially  when  fish  are  "  running."  Custom  may, 
however,  stale  their  infinite  variety  to  fish  which  have  been 
some  time  in  the  river,  and  in  any  particular  pool,  and  thus 
patterns  which  are  not  usually  fished  on  such  streams  should 
be  tried,  and  will  often  be  found  effective. 

When  fishing  with  a  minnow  as  with  the  fly  each  cast 
should  be  fished  right  out.     A  fish  will  often  follow  the  lure 


342  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

right  up  to  within  a  few  yards  of  the  fisherman,  and  should 
a  sudden  increase  in  speed  be  made  at  the  last  moment  it 
will  frequently  lead  to  an  eager  rush  and  a  hooked  fish. 

Although  I  now  use  only  the  fly  or  spinning  bait  I  quite 
sympathize  with  the  man  who  first  tries  the  fly,  then  the 
minnow,  the  spoon,  the  prawn,  and  the  shrimp,  and  finally 
succeeds  in  capturing  his  fish  with  a  bunch  of  worms. 

Size  of  Lure 

The  advisability  of  varying  the  size  of  the  lures  offered 
to  the  salmon  must  be  evident,  when  it  is  remembered  that 
salmon  are  caught  with  the  small  trout  flies,  fly  spoons  and 
with  the  smallest  minnows,  and  the  fisherman  should  always 
remember  that  the  farther  from  salt  water,  the  finer  and 
lower  the  water  in  the  river  he  is  fishing,  the  finer  should  be 
his  traces  and  the  smaller  his  lures ;  a  brown-coloured  shrimp, 
well  sunk,  is  for  this  reason  one  of  the  most  effective  lures 
in  dead  low  water.  The  one  drawback  however  to  using 
the  finer  lures  is  the  difficulty  of  killing  with  them,  as  the 
rod,  the  line  and  the  cast,  with  which  these  are  fished,  have 
to  be  proportionately  delicate  ;  but  when  fish  are  hooked 
under  such  conditions  the  odds  are  exciting  enough  to 
please  most  people,  and  the  use  of  such  fine  lures  is 
frequently  the  only  method  of  obtaining  sport. 

The  Number  of  Hooks  on  a  Lure 

If  only  the  natural  or  artificial  minnow  or  spoon  were 
used  with  but  a  single  hook,  instead  of  two  or  more  flights 
of  triangles,  the  minnow  would  be  in  every  way  as  sporting 
a  lure  as  the  fly,  and,  both  in  salmon  and  trout  waters,  a 
minnow  armed  with  a  single  hook  would  give  far  greater 
sport,  injure  and  scare  far  fewer  fish,  and  lead  to  a  more 
equal  distribution  of  catches  from  the  sea  to  the  spawning 
beds.    A  salmon  whose  mouth  has  been  lacerated  by  triangles 


SALMON  FLY,  SPINNING  LURE,  ETC.        343 

in  the  lower  reaches  is  apt  to  become  rather  shy  by  the  time 
he  arrives  at  the  upper  part  of  the  river. 

Fly  Fishing  versus  Spinning 

Under  the  best  circumstances,  when  the  water  is  in  good 
condition,  and  fish  fresh  run  and  plentiful,  fly  fishing  is 
by  far  the  most  enjoyable  method  of  angling  for  salmon. 
The  satisfaction  is  greater  and  the  sporting  chances  of  the 
fight  more  evenly  divided  than  when  using  a  spinning  lure, 
but  unless  the  action  of  the  fly  fisher's  rod  be  exactly  suited 
to  the  muscles  of  the  fisherman,  and  sport  be  good,  the 
skilful  performer  with  the  spinning  rod  may  find  in  spinning 
not  only  the  most  effective,  but  the  more  fascinating  method 
of  fishing. 

After  the  capture  of  the  first  few  salmon,  and  when  the 
sport  has  lost  some  of  its  novelty,  the  fisherman  will 
frequently  have  to  exercise  the  greatest  patience  and 
perseverance,  in  order  to  continue  casting  his  fly  with  that 
care  and  attention  which  is  necessary  in  order  to  be 
successful. 

As  the  hours  lengthen  into  days,  and  as  the  days  some- 
times lengthen  into  weeks — ere  the  fisherman's  labour  is 
repaid  by  the  capture  of  a  salmon — unless  he  be  gifted  with 
the  patience  and  perseverance  which  are  so  necessary,  he 
will  in  all  probability  find  the  pastime  of  fly  fishing  for 
salmon  becoming  somewhat  wearisome. 

If  for  instance,  he  should  have  a  temperament  so  happy 
as  to  enable  him  to  place  the  most  absolute  faith  in  the 
particular  fly  he  happens  to  be  fishing  with,  he  will,  at  every 
cast  he  makes,  expect  a  salmon  to  accept  his  lure  ;  but  if 
not  so  happily  endowed,  it  will  be  almost  impossible  not  to 
lose  faith  in  the  immediate  efficacy  of  the  one,  two,  three 
or  more  flies  which  have  been  tried  for  some  hours  without 
success. 


344  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

Advantages  of  the  Spinning  Lure 

As  there  must  be  about  at  least  a  hundred  different  kinds 
of  salmon  flies,  each  one  of  which  is  more  or  less  individually 
recommended,  it  becomes  increasingly  difficult  to  place 
faith  in  any  particular  fly  after  it  and  several  others  have 
been  selected,  tried  and  proved  failures  ;  patient  persevere 
ance  is  required — perseverance  in  continuing  to  make  the 
best  possible  cast  each  time,  and  patience  as  regards  the 
faith  placed  in  the  lure  which  you  happen  to  be  using.  This 
is  the  reason,  I  take  it,  that  the  average  man,  under  average 
circumstances,  when  he  can  spin  properly,  prefers  spinning 
to  fly  fishing.  Spinning  lures  do  not  vary  to  the  same 
extent  as  do  salmon  flies,  and  there  are  always  one  or  two 
best  spinning  lures  on  any  river,  and  almost  invariably  one 
special  lure  in  which  the  fisherman  can  place  his  faith, 
without  calling  upon  his  patience  to  aid  him  in  doing  so. 

Each  individual  cast  with  a  spinning  lure,  no  matter  how 
many  times  it  is  repeated,  may  therefore  be  made  with 
confident  expectation  that,  if  a  salmon  is  in  the  pool  and  is 
inclined  to  take,  the  lure  which  the  fisherman  is  then  using 
is  the  best  one  for  the  purpose. 

Personally,  I  cannot  always  pin  my  faith  to  a  special 
salmon  fly,  for  I  have  found  so  many  which,  while  they  have 
been  successful  on  certain  days,  are  absolutely  failures  at 
other  times,  and  after  a  series  of  unsuccessful  casts  have 
been  made  in  those  pools  most  likely  to  hold  a  salmon,  I 
have  always  to  make  a  mental  effort  to  inspire  myself  with 
that  confidence  in  the  fly  I  am  using  which  makes  salmon 
fly  fishing  such  a  pleasant  exercise. 

One  of  the  factors  which  tends  to  make  spinning  interesting 
is  that  attention,  which  creates  interest,  must  be  paid  to  the 
spinning  lure  after  it  has  entered  the  water  and  until  it  is 
again  lifted  out — because,  unless  carefully  spun,  it  will  sink 
to  the  bottom,  and  run  foul  of  weeds,  snags  or  other  dangers. 


SALMON  FLY,  SPINNING  LURE,  ETC.        345 

Fly  fishing  for  salmon  differs  from  spinning  only  in  the 
method  by  which  the  lure  is  presented  to  the  fish,  and  were 
it  not  for  the  fact  that  the  spoon  or  minnow  bristles  with  an 
armament  of  triangles,  the  sporting  elements  of  the  two 
methods — spinning  and  fly  fishing — would  be  identical. 

As  regards  the  relative  disturbance  made  when  fly  fishing 
and  when  casting  a  spinning  lure  over  a  pool,  there  is,  if 
anything,  less  made  by  the  latter  than  by  the  former 
method,  for  although  the  spinning  lure  alights  with  a  greater 
splash  than  the  fly,  the  reverse  is  the  case  when  we  come  to 
consider  the  commotion  made  by  the  lines  which  are 
respectively  used  in  the  two  methods.  The  tapered  salmon 
line  used  in  fly  fishing  undoubtedly  falls  with  a  much  heavier 
splash  than  a  spinning  line,  and  it  makes  a  commotion 
when  it  is  picked  off  the  water  which  is  entirely  absent  when 
spinning  is  adopted. 

The  Selection  of  a  Salmon  Lure 

Beyond  the  experience  of  the  local  fisherman  as  to  the 
most  killing  fly  for  the  hour  on  his  own  water,  there  are,  so 
far  as  my  experience  goes,  no  definitely  known  means  of 
determining  the  salmon  fly  or  even  the  lure  which  will  be 
the  successful  one  with  which  to  fish,  and  therefore  if  the 
right  one  be  chosen  it  may  well  be  considered  a  matter  for 
congratulation. 

When  Dry  Fly  Fishing  for  trout  there  are  always  certain 
indications  which  will  guide  the  fisherman  in  making  a 
correct  choice  of  the  one  and  only  fly  which  will  prove 
successful ;  but  when  salmon  fishing,  beyond  the  experience 
that  riverside  knowledge  may  impart,  or  that  local  experi- 
ence claims — no  definite  means  of  ascertaining  which  will 
prove  the  successful  lure  have  yet  been  suggested. 

There  may  and  may  not  be  some  sound  reason,  and 
possibly   some   well-considered   experience,    on   which   the 


346  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

views  of  local  fishermen  are  based,  but  many  varieties  of 
flies,  or  other  lures,  used  on  any  particular  river  have  come 
into  favour  because  they  have  been  those  used  by  the  most 
successful  of  the  local  fishermen.  Other  flies,  or  other 
lures,  are  either  not  tried  at  all,  or  not  until  the  more 
favourite  flies  and  lures  have  proved  unavailing,  and  they 
are  for  that  reason  often  condemned  because  the  mind  has 
already  decided  that  the  salmon  are  untakable,  and  the 
faith  and  its  attendant  perseverance  which  alone  bring 
success,  have  not  been  exercised  when  fishing  with  them. 

On  certain  portions  of  the  Wye,  for  instance,  it  is  generally 
believed — and  this  belief  consequently  influences  the  choice 
of  the  fishing  lure — that  spinning  bait  can  be  used  in  the 
spring  to  far  greater  advantage  than  the  fly,  and  the  fly  in 
autumn  to  greater  advantage  than  the  minnow.  Yet  I 
have  on  more  than  one  occasion  proved  that  such  a  rule  is 
better  honoured  in  the  breach  than  in  its  observance,  and 
that  the  minnow  at  times  in  the  autumn  is  equally  as  killing 
as  the  fly,  if  not  even  more  so.  Variations  in  the  killing 
properties  of  any  particular  kind  of  lure  generally  follow 
any  pronounced  meteorological  disturbance. 

In  the  autumn  of  191a,  when  fishing  on  the  Wye  below 
Builth,  my  hostess,  who  was  using  a  fly,  caught  three  salmon 
on  thelowerpartof  the  upper  pool  of  her  water  between  10.30 
and  12  o'clock,  while  I,  who  had  been  fishing  the  upper  part  of 
the  same  pool  with  an  artificial  minnow,  had  not  had  a  touch. 
Finding  that  the  salmon  were  no  longer  coming  to  the  fly 
of  my  hostess,  I  moved  down  at  noon,  and  fished  the  lower 
part  of  the  pool  with  my  minnow,  and  with  this  lure  I 
killed  three  salmon  before  one  o'clock.  Plate  L.  shows 
Macdonald,  the  gillie,  gaffing  one  of  the  salmon  taken  on 
the  fly. 

But  while  the  nature  of  the  lure  may  be  varied  with 
conspicuous  success  during  the  day,  the  following  advice 


w   ; 

X   -* 

H     O 

is 

o  ^ 


SALMON  FLY,  SPINNING  LURE,  ETC.        347 

should  be  remembered — '*  The  finer  the  water,  the  finer 
the  lure." 

Compel  yourself  to  believe  that,  during  the  time  you  are 
using  it,  the  lure  with  which  you  are  fishing  must  be 
successful. 

I  have  found,  in  the  majority  of  rivers  I  have  fished,  that 
after  any  spate  the  minnow  and  the  fly  may  at  any  time  of  the 
year  be  used,  and  apparently  with  equal  chance  of  success. 

Consider  and  act  on  local  advice  in  your  selection  of 
lures,  but  directly  you  find  them  failures  act  on  your  own 
initiative,  use  your  own  judgment,  and  be  guided  by  former 
successful  experience. 

The  Welsh  Wye 

It  is  with  pleasure  I  now  give  two  letters  from  well- 
known  and  experienced  fishermen,  which  should  be 
carefully  considered  by  my  readers.  These  letters  deal 
with  the  Welsh  Wye,  which  to  me  is  certainly  the  most 
interesting  salmon  river  in  the  world.  In  one,  if  not  the 
most  beautiful  of  its  stretches,  I  caught  from  a  coracle  my 
first  salmon,  a  fifteen  pound  spring  fish,  with  which  I  effected 
a  union  just  above  Bannerman's  Inn,  and  which  I  landed  at 
the  bend  below  the  Symonds  Yat  rapids.  The  fortunes  of 
this  beautiful  river  I  have  followed  since  childhood  with 
unabated  confidence  in  its  ultimate  popularity.  A  former 
Chairman  of  the  Wye  Board  of  Conservators,  to  whom 
I  think  the  Wye  owes  so  much,  J.  L.  Hotchkiss,  Esq.,  was 
one  of  the  first  whom  I  had  the  pleasure  of  coaching  in 
casting  a  salmon  fly,  and  since  then  very  many  of  those 
who  fish  on  this  particular  river  have  been  instructed  by 
me  in  fly-casting  and  spinning,  and  my  predictions  that 
ultimately  the  river  of  my  youth  would  rank,  if  not  as  the 
best,  at  least  as  one  of  the  first  rivers  for  salmon  fishing  in 
the  United  Kingdom,  has  been  fulfilled. 


348  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

According  to  the  Wye  Board  of  Conservators  3,538  salmon, 
averaging  17  lbs.  6  ozs.  were  caught  with  the  rod  on  the 
Wye  during  the  season  1913  (while  6,408  salmon,  weighing 
83,686  lbs.  were  caught  in  the  nets  during  the  same  year). 
The  largest  fish  weighed  47|  lbs.,  the  best  day's  take  to 
the  individual  rod  being  that  of  Captain  de  Winton,  viz., 
17  fish  averaging  over  18  lbs.  each  and  weighing  in  all 
309  lbs.     Captain  de  Winton  writes  as  follows  : 

*'  Maesllwch    Castle,    Glasbury,    Hereford. 
2ist  November,  1913. 

'*  Dear  Mr.  Shaw, — In  answer  to  your  letter  re 
my  big  day's  salmon  fishing  on  the  Wye,  the  weight 
of  fish  was  309  pounds  and  number  17.  Although 
I  don't  care  about  records  myself,  I  believe  from 
what  the  editor  of  The  Field  wrote  to  me,  that  the 
weight  is  a  record  for  spring  fishing,  but  not  for 
autumn  fishing.  In  fact  I  know  two  people  myself 
who  have  killed  a  greater  number  of  fish  in  the 
day,  but  in  each  case,  the  weight  was  no  comparison. 

"  I  only  used  two  flies,  both  tied  by  myself,  a  No.  i 
Thunder  and  Lightning,  double  hook,  and  a  ditto 
size  No.  4.  I  killed  twelve  fish  on  the  former  size, 
and  five  on  the  latter  ;  both  flies  none  the  worse,  so 
an  amateur  can  tie  flies  to  last  sometimes. 

''  In  answer  to  your  question  as  to  the  best  lures 
on  the  Wye,  in  my  part  of  the  river  I  say  without 
any  hesitation  that  one  will  kill  more  fish  by  sticking 
to  a  fly  than  by  any  other  method.  However,  to  get 
the  best  out  of  a  fly  one  has  to  know  one's  water 
thoroughly  and  absolutely,  so  as  to  use  the  right  size 
of  fly  ;  about  the  right  size  is  no  good. 

"  As  to  colour,  I  do  believe  very  much  in  the  colour 
of  the  body  and  hackle,  but  not  in  minuteness  of  colour. 

"  With  regard  to  the  wing,  I  don't  care  a  button 
what  is  in  it,  so  long  as  there  is  very  little  of  it. 
We  use  this  lure  from  7/0  Dee  Hooks  down  to  No.  8 
and  No.  10  trout  flies. 


SALMON  FLY,  SPINNING  LURE,  ETC.        349 

"  People,  as  a  rule,  will  not  have  a  salmon  fly  unless 
it  is  a  thing  of  beauty  to  start  with  at  any  rate,  and 
the  more  they  get  for  their  money,  especially  in  the 
wing,  the  better  they  are  pleased.  They  may  be  right. 
All  I  know  is  that  I  myself  will  not  use  a  thick  winged 
fly,  and  generally  cut  about  half  the  feathers  out  of 
a  shop  tied  one. 

"  Lower  down  the  Wye,  the  water  is  not  good  fly 
water,  and  a  lot  of  fish  are  caught,  in  fact  all,  I  believe, 
with  an  artificial  minnow. 

"  I  am  afraid  I  have  not  got  a  Kodak  of  my 
seventeen  fish,  it  was  so  dark  the  following  day,  that 
they  could  not  be  taken  unfortunately,  or  else 
you  should  have  one  with  pleasure. 

"  On  my  particular  day,  I  may  say,  in  case  it 
interests  you,  that  I  only  actually  played  one  other 
fish — the  tenth  hooked — and  if  I  remember  rightly 
just  touched  three  others.  It  was  all  done  between 
10  a.m.  and  5  p.m.,  on  half  a  mile  of  water. 

"  With  regard  to  what  you  say  about  salmon 
taking  a  March  Brown,  I  may  say  that  on  this  river 
it  is  on  the  whole,  day  in  and  day  out,  about  the  best 
fly  you  can  put  on  in  sizes  7  and  8.  Anyhow,  in 
those  sizes,  a  March  Brown  and  a  Thunder  and 
Lightning  are  my  favourites.  Of  course,  one  uses 
the  latter  fly  in  all  sizes  up  to  5/0  and  it  is  equally 
good  in  all. 

"  I  am,  yours  very  truly, 

"Arthur  de  Winton." 

Mr.  J.  Arthur  Hutton,  the  well-known  authority  on  the 
scale  markings  of  salmon,  wrote  to  the  author  as  follows  : 

"  21st  November,  1913. 
"  Dear  Sir, — In  reply  to  your  letter,  it  is  quite 
impossible  to  lay  down  a  hard  and  fast  rule  as  to  the 
use  of  the  fly  and  minnow,  but  I  am  quite  sure  a 
good  many  fishermen,  through  their  prejudices  against 
spinning,  lose  many  chances  of  catching  salmon.     I 


3  50  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

know  a  great  deal  of  this  prejudice  is  caused  by  the 
fact  that  the  number  of  anglers  who  are  able  to  use 
the  spinning  reel  effectively  are  comparatively  few. 

"  In  the  upper  part  of  the  Wye  I  believe  the  biggest 
portion  of  the  fish  are  caught  with  the  fly,  though 
there  are  also  some  experts  with  the  worm,  but  in 
the  middle  and  the  lower  waters,  where  the  water 
is  more  sluggish,  the  fly  is  not  of  very  much  use  in 
the  early  part  of  the  year,  and  I  should  say  until 
the  end  of  March  five  fish  are  killed  with  the  minnow 
for  every  one  with  the  fly.  In  April,  the  fly  will  begin 
to  catch  up  to  the  minnow,  and  in  May,  I  should  think 
quite  as  many  are  killed  with  the  fly  as  the  minnow, 
and  after  that  the  fly  is  far  away  the  best  bait. 

"  A  great  deal  depends  on  the  height  and  tempera- 
ture of  the  water.  I  think,  when  the  water  is  very  cold, 
fish  lying  in  deep  water  are  not  very  much  inclined 
to  rise  to  the  surface,  and  of  course  when  the  water 
is  high,  as  a  rule,  it  is  hardly  clear  enough  for  a  fish 
lying  in  say  eight  or  ten  feet  of  water  to  see  a  fly 
on  the  surface. 

"  Yours  faithfully, 

"  J.    Arthur    Hutton." 

Some  Record  Takes  of  Salmon — British  Isles 

Among  the  most  noticeable  catches  of  salmon  with  the 
fly,  and  forming  a  record,  which,  in  my  opinion  stands  alone 
as  a  sporting  triumph,  should  be  mentioned  the  magnificent 
two  days — April  2nd  and  April  5th,  1913,  on  the  Tay,  by 
Her  Grace,  the  Duchess  of  Bedford,  which  certainly  will 
stand  as  a  record  for  a  lady's  rod.  No  better  take  for  two 
almost  consecutive  days  has  ever  been  made  by  a  lady,  and 
there  have  been  but  few  better  records  for  any  one  day. 
Plate  LI.  gives  a  picture  of  Her  Grace,  the  fish  and  the 
Tay,  and  the  following  letter  will  give  interesting  details 
of  how  the  fish  were  killed.     It  will  show,  as  does  the  letter 


J 


SALMON  FLY,  SPINNING  LURE,  ETC.         351 

of  Captain  de  Winton  (page  348),  the  value  of  a  fly,  and 
of  using  one  whose  colour  partakes  of  the  character  of  the 
bottom  and  surroundings  of  the  river  which  is  being  fished. 
At  the  particular  part  of  the  Tay  referred  to  the  pebbles 
and  boulders  lying  in  the  channel  of  the  river  are  more  or 
less  covered  with  a  dark  weed.  Plate  LI.  also  shows  the 
wooded  nature  of  the  banks. 

These  letters  again  are  interesting  as  they  show  the 
remarkable  difference  in  the  manner  salmon  will  attack 
the  lure.  In  some  cases,  a  whole  day  may  be  lost  with  a 
series  of  plucks  at  the  lure  by  the  salmon,  which  seem  to 
be  almost  equivalent  to  the  *'  coming  short  "  of  a  trout. 
At  other  times,  every  pluck  almost  invariably  means  a 
hooked  fish.  In  Captain  de  Winton's  record,  only  three  fish 
failed  to  take  hold  properly,  but  the  Duchess  of  Bedford 
mentions  that  on  her  first  day  the  salmon  repeatedly  failed 
to  take  hold  oi  her  fly  in  a  satisfactory  manner. 

If  only  four  fish  out  of  the  many  who  failed  to  take  the 
fly  properly  on  the  first  day,  had  secured  a  hold,  Her  Grace's 
record  would  have  been  equal  in  number  to  Captain  de 
Winton's  record  on  the  Wye. 

"November  gth,  1913. 
'*  Dear  Sir, 

"  There  were  two  days  on  which  I  landed  thirteen 
salmon  last  spring,  and,  as  generally  happens,  the  one 
least  written  and  talked  about  was  the  best. 

"  The  first  day,  April  2nd,  they  were  taking  very 
short,  and  fish  after  fish  dropped  off  directly 
it  had  spun  the  reel  out.  I  finished  the  day  very 
depressed,  as  instead  of  thirteen,  I  felt  I  ought  to  have 
had  at  least  twenty,  though  I  honestly  don't  think  it 
was  my  fault.  On  the  5th,  I  again  landed  thirteen 
fish,  and  I  think  I  only  had  two  other  rises.  The 
first  thirteen  weighed  191 J  pounds,  those  on  the  5th, 
191  pounds. 


352  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

"  April  2nd.— 6J,  9,  7J,  10,  19,  16J,  19,  15,  22, 
16,  13,  22,  and  17  pounds. 

"  April  5th.— 13,  18,  11,  lOJ,  10,  14,  22J,  23,  16, 
13,  17J,  14,  and  8J  pounds. 

"  The  whole  of  the  above  were  taken  casting  from  the 
boat,  and  all  but  three  on  the  "  Black  Dog."  They 
were  caught  at  Stanley,  I  forget  what  the  pools  were 
called,  but  I  think  Pitlochry  and  Washing  Pools.  Below 
the  pool  is  a  big  rush  of  water,  which  the  boat  cannot 
go  down,  but  down  which  it  is  always  supposed  that  the 
fish  will  escape.  The  banks  are  high  and  wooded.  The 
pool  is  not  dark,  but  the  sun  goes  off  it  fairly  early. 

*'  My  rod  is  an  eighteen  foot  one. 

"  I  landed  102  fish  in  23  days'  fishing,  all  casting, 
total  weight  1,503  J  pounds,  largest  fish  29  pounds, 
18  of  these  weighed  20  pounds  and  over,  and  51 
weighed  16  pounds  and  over.  I  had  three  blank  days 
between  2ist  March  and  29th  April.  I  can  send  you 
a  photograph  when  I  get  back  to  Woburn  in  about 
ten  days'  time.     (See  plate  LI.) 

"  I  should  probably  not  have  made  these  good 
catches  but  for  my  lessons  in  casting,*  and  a  hint  I 
helped  myself  to  when  watching  a  very  well  known 
angler,  Sir  H.  Maxwell.  After  making  his  cast  he 
slipped  the  handle  of  the  rod  back  so  that  the  rod 
balanced  evenly.  Oh  !  the  exhaustion  this  has  saved 
me.  When  I  asked  him  to  improve  my  casting,  by  giv- 
ing me  hints,  he  said  he  could  not  teach  me  anything, 
but  the  hint  I  stole  just  made  all  the  difference  in  a 
long  day's  casting,  in  fact  made  it  possible  for  me. 

"  Yours  truly, 

"  M.    Bedford." 

Another  Record 

When  staying   with   Mr.    Arthur    Millington   Naylor    in 
1897,  as   a   fellow-guest  of  Mr.  George  Beck,  he  told  me 

*  This  remark  is  a  kind  reference  to  the  Author's  coaching. 


SALMON  FLY,  SPINNING  LURE,  ETC.        353 

after  a  hard  day's  elk  stalking  in  the  Namsen  Lake  country, 
the  following  particulars  of  his  record  catch  of  salmon, 
which  bear  directly  on  the  possibility  of  taking  fish  when 
every  circumstance  seems  to  be  against  you,  and  also  on 
the  fact  that  salmon  will  "  feed  *'  whenever  they  enter  any 
new  stretch  of  water  on  their  up-stream  journey. 

This  cannot  be  attributed  to  that  exhaustion  which  is 
considered  by  many  fishermen  to  account  for  the  resuscita- 
tion—for recuperative  purposes— of  the  feeding  instincts  of 
the  salmon,  for  in  this  instance  the  run  was  only  a  distance  of 
one  mile,  and  their  already  decreasing  appetites  would  still 
have  been  on  the  wane  ;  but  the  destructive  instinct  seems 
to  me  to  offer  a  more  feasible  explanation  of  the  freedom 
with  which  they  took  the  lures. 

Mr.  Naylor,  with  Messrs.  Hansard  and  Probyn,  had  taken 
the  fishing  on  the  Grimersta  River,  on  the  island  of  Lewis, 
N.B.  ;  but,  owing  to  drought,  the  salmon  could  not  run  to 
the  upper  water  and  the  lochs.  The  river  between  these 
lochs  and  the  sea  was  '*  vera  sma',"  while  seaward  at 
the  mouth  of  the  river  an  immense  number  of  salmon  had 
collected  ;  some  of  these  fish  seen  from  the  shore  appeared 
to  be  developing  some  disease  on  the  head  and  body— 
fungus-like  white  patches  beginning  to  show  themselves— 
while  large  numbers  were  found  dead  at  low-tide.  It  was 
seen  that  unless  rain  came,  the  chances  of  the  fish  "  running 
up  "  were  nil. 

It  occurred  to  the  party  that  in  order  to  get  the  fish 
to  run  and  to  save  their  lives  (sic),  it  was  necessary  to  deepen 
the  channel  of  the  river  as  it  left  Loch  Langlabat  —the  head 
loch  of  the  river,  and  situated  about  nine  miles  from  the 
sea— and  that  if  a  dam  was  made  below  the  first  of  the  four 
smaller  lochs— which  was  about  100  acres  in  extent,  and 
within  one  mile  of  salt  water — a  spate  could  be  engineered 
which  would  bring  the  fish  up  to  the  first  loch. 

24 


354  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

Labourers  were  obtained,  and  every  one  setting  to  work 
with  a  will,  the  upper  channel  was  deepened  and  the  outlet 
from  the  lowest  lake  was  checked  by  a  substantial  earth- 
work dam,  which — after  bringing  the  water  in  it  to  about 
one  foot  above  its  former  level — was  suddenly  destroyed, 
and  an  artificial  spate  created,  which  went  tumbling  down 
the  short  lower  length  of  the  river  and  into  the  salt  water 
in  which  the  salmon  had  been  so  long  waiting.  The  result 
was  an  immediate  run  of  salmon  to  J:he  lake  above,  where 
they  remained  for  some  weeks. 

It  was  permissible  to  fish  only  one  rod  per  day  on  the 
first  beat,  which  included  the  first  loch  in  which  the  fish  had 
collected.  The  total  take  for  the  six  days  at  the  end  of 
August  following  this  artificial  spate  was  338  |  salmon 
and  71  sea  trout,  the  average  weight  of  the  fish  being  6 
pounds. 

On  the  23rd  of  August  Mr.  Naylor  killed  thirty-one 
salmon,  on  the  27th  the  rod  which  fished  the  loch  got 
thirty-six  salmon.  On  the  28th  Mr.  Naylor  had  the  record 
catch,  taking  fifty-four  salmon  in  nine  hours,  and 
Mr.  Hansard  caught  forty-six  fish  the  succeeding  day ; 
the  next  day  again,  the  30th,  Mr.  Naylor  killed  forty- 
five  salmon,  all  these  wonderful  records  being  made  with 
the  fly. 

No  record  was  made  of  the  salmon  lost  or  which  came 
"  at  '*  the  fly  during  these  busy  days,  and  but  little  wonder 
can  be  felt  at  this,  for  when  a  man  has  an  average  kill  of  one 
salmon  to  every  ten  minutes  throughout  nine  hours'  fishing, 
he  has  little  time  for  other  matters.  The  record  is  in  itself 
a  wonderful  instance  of  endurance. 

A  50-P0UND  Salmon 

It  might,  perhaps,  illustrate  the  uncertainty  of  salmon 
fishing  and  the  reward  which  will  at  times  repay  a  patient 


SALMON  FLY,  SPINNING  LURE,  ETC.       365 

wait  on  the  river-side  if  I  describe  the  good  luck  which 
attended  my  enforced  stay  on  the  Namsen  River  at  the  end 
of  the  1897  season.  The  late  Mr.  Merthyr  Guest  had  very 
kindly  placed  his  house  at  Gartland,  and  his  stretch  of  the 
Namsen  River,  at  my  disposal.  I  had  been  entertaining 
a  party  of  my  friends,  who,  owing  to  previous  English 
engagements  had  one  by  one  left  me,  and  on  the  23rd  of 
August  I  found  myself  alone,  to  settle  with  the  servants, 
and  see  that  the  house  was  properly  closed  for  the  winter. 
I  had  arranged  to  follow  two  of  the  party  further  into 
the  interior  and  join  them  in  elk  shooting. 

On  the  very  night,  the  23rd,  on  which  these  two  visitors 
left  Gartland,  a  heavy  downpour  of  rain  commenced,  which 
made  their  journey  up-country  extremely  unpleasant,  but 
which  brought  down  the  Namsen  River  in  spate. 

On  the  26th  of  August  the  river  was  fishable,  and  I  was 
lucky  enough  to  kill  over  200  pounds  weight  of  salmon; 
on  the  first  day,  among  a  lot  of  other  fine  fish,  I  obtained 
one  which  scaled  just  over  50  pounds.  This  was  a  fine  old 
cock  fish,  which,  had  he  been  fresh-run,  would  probably 
have  scaled  60  pounds.  He  was  killed  at  5  p.m.  on  August 
26th. 

This  splendid  salmon  measured  exactly  4  feet  in  length, 
27  inches  in  girth,  and  the  span  of  his  tail  was  13  J 
inches,  and  he  had  the  biggest  head  I  have  ever  seen  on 
a  salmon.  He  was  hooked  shortly  after  four  on  a  medium- 
sized  spoon  with  a  17-feet  greenheart  rod.  He  took  the 
lure  with  a  tremendous  dash,  the  reel  screaming  as  the  fish 
went  spinning  down-stream  ;  but,  luckily  for  my  nerves, 
he  gave  me  a  chance  after  taking  out  100  yards  of  line,  and  I 
was  able  to  turn  him  towards  the  bank.  After  trying  a 
short  run  up-stream,  he  made  another  dash  towards  the 
centre  of  the  river,  and  then  another  down-stream  rush, 
until  he  sulked  in  about  ten  feet  of  running  water.     Pulling 


356  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

in  to  land,  I  attempted  to  move  him  ;  but  for  fifteen  minutes 
he  lay  like  a  rock,  sulking,  if  ever  a  fish  sulked,  and  only  a 
surge  now  and  again  told  me  I  had  a  fish,  and  not  a  world, 
on  my  line.  I  might  have  turned  him  down-stream,  but 
my  Norwegian  strongly  advised  me  not  to  do  so,  as  danger 
existed  but  a  short  distance  below.  So  it  was  a  case  of 
wait. 

Meanwhile,  my  eyes  were  beginning  to  play  me 
tricks :  the  high  pine-clad  banks  commenced  running 
up-stream  at  express  rates,  whenever  I  lifted  my  eyes  from 
the  rapidly  running  river  at  the  spot  where  my  fish  lay,  and 
on  turning  them  on  any  motionless  object,  the  same  curious 
optical  delusion  occurred.  My  gillie,  Isaac,  now  planted  a 
stone  or  two  below  the  salmon,  and  after  fifteen  minutes' 
sulk,  he  made  a  move  up-stream,  and  then  a  dash  across  the 
river,  we  having  to  follow  in  the  boat  for  some  300  yards. 
He  then  came  down  again  and  we  got  him  into  a  big  back- 
water, in  which  I  managed  to  keep  him,  and  finally,  after  a 
very  anxious  struggle,  we  had  him  beautifully  gaffed,  and 
lying  on  the  bank. 

He  took  forty-five  minutes  to  kill,  and  out  of  that  time  he 
sulked  for  fifteen  minutes  among  some  dangerous  rocks  in  a 
deep  run,  about  70  yards  from  the  bank  on  which  we  finally 
landed  him.  I  also  killed  two  fish  over  30  pounds  with  the 
fly  (Jock  Scott  and  Popham),  besides  losing  another  very 
big  one,  and  finished  off  the  day  by  killing  a  22-pound 
clean-run  salmon  with  many  sea-lice  on  him.  It  was  a 
coincidence  that  Mr.  Guest  should  have  killed  in  the  same 
pool,  on  July  20th,  1894,  a  64-pound  salmon,  the  length 
of  which  was  4  feet  3  J  inches,  but  with  all  other 
measurements  similar  to  the  one  just  described.  Mr. 
Guest's  fish  was  almost  the  biggest  salmon  killed  on  a 
rod  at  that  time. 

I  killed  on  this  water,  in  the  preceding  year,  on  September 


SALMON  FLY,  SPINNING  LURE,  ETC.        357 

loth,  1896,  a  clean-run  salmon  of  24  pounds.  This  will  serve 
to  show  that  this  river  has  every  chance  of  giving  good  sport 
until  the  close  of  the  season,  provided  always  that  the  rain 
is  forthcoming,  or  that  there  is  sufficient  water  in  the  river 
to  bring  the  fish  up. 


k 


CHAPTER    XIX 

THE  SPINNING  REEL  AND  THE  SCIENCE  OF  SPINNING 
WITH  A  SALMON  OR  ANY  DOUBLE-HANDED  ROD. 

The  consideration  of  a  spinning  lure — ^The  spinning  reel — ^The  drum, 
its  inertia  and  its  rotation — ^Determining  the  moment  for  free 
rotation — ^The  control  over  the  drum — Checking  the  rotation  of 
the  drum — ^Diagrammatic  consideration  of  spinning  with  any  make 
of  the  Nottingham  reel — ^The  check  on  the  drum — ^The  automatic 
starting  mechanism  of  the  drum  of  spinning  reels — ^The  right  side 
cast  with  the  double-handed  spinning  rod — ^The  starting  point — 
The  action  of  the  rod. 

The  Consideration  of  Spinning  a  Lure 
The  difficulty  of  learning  to  cast  a  spinning  lure  correctly 
and  accurately  has  been  in  the  past  greatly  increased  owing 
to  the  fact  that  there  never  have  been,  so  far  as  I  am  aware, 
any  definite  instructions  as  to  the  exact  nature  of  the 
physical  energy  required  in  spinning,  or  as  to  how  that 
energy  should  be  scientifically  applied. 

The  art  of  spinning  consists  in  propelling  a  lure  accurately 
and  delicately  from  the  end  of  a  spinning  rod,  and  the  mental 
and  muscular  action  which  is  necessary  to  make  this  a 
correct  habit  is  not  easy  to  acquire.  It  is  necessary  that  a 
well-considered  and  practised  manipulation  of  the  reel  and 
the  line  to  which  the  lure  is  attached  should  accompany 
this  action. 

As  no  two  absolutely  new  actions  can  be  thought  out  and 
performed  together — one  or  other  of  these  two  separate 
mental  and  physical  processes  must  be  learnt  first.  The 
attempt  to  accomplish  them  simultaneously  will  result  in 
failure,  and  a  continuance  of  this  attempt,  though  it  may 


SPINNING  WITH  A  SALMON  REEL  359 

ultimately  result  in  success,  will  be  a  long  and  tedious 
process,  in  which  one  of  the  objects  to  be  achieved  will  have 
to  suffer  until  the  other  has  been  acquired,  and  even  if 
success  attends  the  simultaneous  efforts,  those  efforts, 
when  made  into  a  habit,  will  only  be  acquired  as  a  knack. 

If  the  separate  process  of  manipulating  the  reel  be  first 
considered  and  practised  until  the  correct  method  of  using 
it  be  made  into  a  habit,  which  answers  to  desire — then  the 
other  original  process,  the  manipulation  of  the  rod,  can  be 
considered,  practised  and  also  made  into  a  correct  habit. 

It  will  then  be  possible  to  consider  and  perform  the  two 
actions  of  using  the  spinning  rod  and  the  spinning  reel 
together. 

It  must  be  evident  that  the  simpler  the  manipulation  of 
the  reel,  the  more  quickly  can  it  be  learnt,  and  the  use  of  the 
rod  be  thereafter  acquired.  No  reel  should  take  more  than 
two  minutes  to  learn,  more  than  five  minutes  to  handle, 
or  more  than  half  an  hour  to  work  habitually.  The  greater 
difficulty  is  in  learning  the  correct  manner  of  using  the  rod. 

The  Spinning  Reel 
We  will  turn  first  to  the  reel.     There  are  three  different 
duties  required  from  the  mechanism  of  the  perfect  reel : — 

1.  Its  normal  duty — this  consists  in  its  working  as  an 

ordinary  fishing  reel.  The  rotation  of  the  drum  on 
which  the  line  is  wound  is  held  in  check  by  a  ratchet 
wheel  and  a  spring  controlled  pawl.  Their  united 
duties  are  to  so  effect  the  control  of  the  drum,  that  in 
one  direction  of  its  rotation  it  presents  its  strongest 
resistance  to  the  fish,  and  in  the  other  a  considerably 
less  resistance  to  the  hand  when  winding  in  the  line. 

2.  Its  second  duty  is  the  permitting  of  the  disengagement 

of  the  pawl  from  the  ratchet  wheel  and  the  free 
rotatory  action  of  the  drum. 


360  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

3.  Its  third  duty  is  allowing  so  gentle  a  braking  action 
to  be  applied  to  the  drum  that  while  it  does  not 
impede  the  unwinding  of  the  line,  and  the  progress 
of  the  lure,  yet  it  prevents  the  drum  from  over- 
running the  line. 
In  the  most  perfect  form  of  a  spinning  reel*  the  first  duty 
is  being  performed  when  the  reel  is  in  its  normal  condition. 
The  second  duty  is  brought  into  being  by  a  slight  and 
continued  pressure  of  a  finger  of  either  hand. 

The  third  duty  is  brought  into  being  by  an  increase  m  this 
pressure,  and  the  normal  duty  again  arrived  at  by  releasing 
this  pressure  altogether. 

It  will  be  recognized  that  these  three  duties  of  the  reel 
should  be  determined  by  the  most  simple  and  easily 
acquired  action  possible. 

The  Drum,  its  Inertia,  and  its  Rotation 

The  various  influences  which  affect  a  spinning  lure  during 
its  flight  through  the  air,  even  if  ascertainable,  could  only 
be  considered  as  affecting  the  lure  at  the  particular  moment 
at  which  these  forces  were  definitely  known. 

It  is  certain  that  one  cannot  solve  a  problem  when  the 
different  factors  connected  with  that  proposition  are  of  an 
unknown  and  ever  varying  character,  and  therefore  a 
general  formula  to  determine  the  exact  speed,  curvature, 
and  position  of  the  lure  at  each  moment  of  its  passage  from 
its  place  of  inertia  to  that  of  its  destination — during  the  act 
of  spinning — cannot  be  stated. 

If  the  lure  at  a  certain  moment  of  its  radial  passage  were 
permitted  entire  freedom,  centrifugal  force  would  exactly 
determine  its  pathway,  but  the  lure  is  attached  by  a  line 
to  the  drum  of  the  reel,  and  therefore  it  is  only  partially 
released.     Hence  a  series  of   different  factors  come    into 

*  See  the  description  of  Spinning  Reels  in  the  final  chapter. 


SPINNING  WITH  A  SALMON  REEL  361 

play,  and  influence  the  onward  motion  of  the  lure  after  the 
drum  on  which  the  line  is  wound  has  been  released  from  the 
controlling  influence  of  the  pawl  and  ratchet  mechanism  of 
the  reel. 

The  principal  factors  which  operate  on  the  spinning  lure 
when  the  drum  is  released,  and  which  offer  a  retarding  and 
guiding  influence  to  its  passage  are  as  follows  : — 

(i)  The  varying  influences  of  gravity. 

(2)  The  varying  friction  of  the  drum  in   retarding  the 

extension  of  the  line. 

(3)  The  varying  friction al  resistance  of  the  air  to  the 

passage  of  the  lure  and  to  the  line. 

(4)  The  varying  frictional  resistance  of  the  top  rod  ring 

to  the  passage  of  the  line. 

That  these  influences  must  vary  will  be  gathered  from 
the  following  particulars  : — 

(i)  The  action  of  gravity  on  a  moving  body  whose 
velocity  is  unknown  cannot  be  calculated. 

(a)  The  rotation  of  the  drum  starts  from  inertia — which 
has  to  be  overcome.  Its  speed  then  has  to 
be  checked  in  order  to  prevent  its  over-running  the 
line,  and  finally  its  revolutions  have  to  be  stopped 
as  the  lure  enters  the  water. 

(3)  This  varies  according  to  the  meteorological  conditions 

of  the  moment,  varies  also  according  to  the  length 
and  curvature  of  the  line,  the  speed  and  curvature 
of  the  lure  through  the  air,  and  the  condition— wet 
or  dry — of  the  line. 

(4)  The  frictional  resistance  offered  by  the  top  ring  of  the 

rod  to  the  line  varies  in  regard  to  the  direction  in 

which  it  is  extended,  and  in  which  the  rod  is  held. 

Now  a  consideration  of  this  problem,  connected  as  it  is 

with  so  many  and  so  varying  a  series  of  influences,  all  bearing 

on  the  flight  of  a  spinning  lure,  must  obviously  be  impossible 


362  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

when  actually  spinning,  and  therefore  a  practical  method 
by  which  the  accurate  casting  of  a  spinning  lure  can  be 
accomplished  will  be  found  useful. 

Determining  the  Moment  for  Free  Rotation 

Presuming  that  the  fisherman's  method  of  swinging  his 
spinning  rod  be  perfect,  he  has  only  to  determine  correctly 
the  moment  at  which  he  has  to  permit  his  lure  to  leave  the 
controlling  influences  of  his  pawl  mechanism,  i.e.,  the  exact 
angle  during  the  radial  swing  of  his  rod  at  which  the  check 
on  the  drum  of  his  reel  has  to  be  withdrawn — in  order  to 
insure  the  accuracy  of  his  casting. 

If,  then,  a  trial  cast  be  made  when  spinning  a  lure  with  a 
certain  length  and  make  of  rod,  a  certain  frictional  resistance 
to  the  rotatory  action  of  the  drum  of  the  reel,  a  certain 
weight  of  lure,  and  to  a  certain  distance,  and  the  lure 
arrives  at  its  destination,  it  will  be  evidence  that  the  drum 
has  been  released  at  the  right  moment,  and  that  so  long  as 
the  same  rod,  line,  reel,  and  lure  be  used,  and  a  similar 
force  be  applied  by  the  fisherman,  this  particular  angle  of 
release  which  has  effected  the  correct  course  of  the  lure  will 
also  have  to  remain  constant. 

If,  however,  in  a  right  hand  cast,  that  is  when  the  cast 
is  made  by  swinging  the  rod  from  right  to  left,  the  lure  has 
fallen  to  the  left  of  the  mark  aimed  at,  it  will  be  evident  that 
the  drum  has  been  given  its  freedom  too  late.  If,  on  the 
contrary,  the  lure  has  fallen  to  the  right  hand  of  the  mark 
aimed  at,  it  will  be  evident  that  the  drum  has  been  released 
too  soon,  and  with  the  information  thus  gained  it  only  needs 
one  or  two  carefully  calculated  casts  to  determine  the 
exact  angle — during  the  swing  of  the  rod^ — at  which  the 
drum  has  to  be  released  in  order  to  obtain  the  accuracy 
necessary  in  casting  the  lure  with  the  rod  from  this  spinning 
reel. 


SPINNING  WITH  A  SALMON  REEL  363 

The  Control  over  the  Drum 

When  a  perfectly  regulated  spinning  reel  is  used  when 
casting,  the  centifrugal  force  acquired  by  the  lure  should  not 
overcome  the  spring  controlling  the  rotatory  action  of  the 
drum,  and  the  lure,  therefore,  after  reaching  the  position  L^ 
Diagram  23,  would  continue  to  circle  round  concentrically 
in  line  with  the  rod  top,  so  long  as  the  forward  motion  of  the 
rod  is  not  varied  (see  K.K.K.,  Diagram  23,  page  365). 

It  is  obvious  that  if  the  lure  has  to  leave  this  circle  in 
order  to  reach  some  desired  place  on  the  river,  lake,  etc., 
it  will  have  to  be  released  from  the  controlling  action  of  the 
drum.  A  free  rotation  of  the  drum  is  therefore  necessary 
if  the  lure  is  to  proceed  to  its  destination.  Directly  the 
drum  is  allowed  to  rotate  the  centrifugal  force  hitherto 
kept  in  check  will  cause  the  lure  to  fly  off  at  a  tangent  to 
the  circle  in  which  it  has  been  travelling  (see  L^Q, 
Diagram  23). 

The  frictional  resistance  of  the  air  to  the  line,  etc., 
will  gradually  affect  the  speed  of  the  lure  and  also  the 
amount  of  the  line  which  is  being  drawn  out,  but  the 
rotatory  velocity  which  the  drum  of  the  reel  has  acquired 
will  not  be  so  readily  affected,  and  unless  it  be  checked 
it  will  eventually  overtake  the  line  which  is  being  less 
quickly  pulled  from  the  cylinder,  and  thus  cause  over- 
running. 

It  is  necessary  therefore  that  the  drum  should  be  again 
controlled,  so  that  its  rotatory  velocity  shall  not  exceed  the 
rate  at  which  the  line  is  being  drawn  off  by  the  reel.  Now, 
this  check  to  the  drum  of  the  original  Nottingham  reel  was 
effected  by  the  application  of  the  hand,  a  finger  of  which 
was  pressed  to  the  side  or  edge  of  the  rotating  drum  in  order 
to  check  when  necessary  its  excessive  rotation,  but  not 
otherwise  to  interfere  with  its  freedom  or  cause  any  sudden 
or  unnecessary  check  to  the  progress  of  the  lure. 


364  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

Checking  the  Rotation  of  the  Drum 
No  definite  moment  can  be  fixed  at  which  to  check  the 
excessive  rotation  of  the  drum,  but  as  a  rule,  the  greater 
the  curve  made  by  the  lure  after  its  release  from  radial 
control,  the  sooner  should  the  checking  action  be  applied. 
When  using  a  Nottingham  reel  and  when  the  finger  check 
has  been  applied,  it  can,  if  it  prejudicially  affects  the 
accuracy  of  the  cast  or  the  progress  of  the  lure,  be  again 
released.  If,  while  the  cast  is  being  made,  the  lure  is 
released  from  its  radial  control  at  too  early  a  moment  it 
will  fly  off  too  much  to  the  right  of  the  fisherman,  and  the 
sooner  therefore  the  rotatory  action  of  the  drum  comes 
again  under  control,  the  sooner  will  the  direction  taken 
by  the  lure  be  affected  and  its  direction  altered  towards 
the  mark  at  which  it  has  been  aimed. 

It  is  evident,  therefore,  that  any  permanent  or  continuous 
braking  action  of  this  nature  is  not  required,  and  a  reel  which 
is  so  constructed  that  it  is  necessary  for  the  majority  of 
those  who  use  it  to  apply  a  mechanism  which  enforces  a 
constant  braking  action  to  the  rotatory  velocity  of  the  drum 
must  be  wrong  in  principle,  for  the  drum  when  it  is  first 
released  should  have  the  greatest  possible  freedom  of 
rotation,  and  any  permanent  check  must  retard  the  free 
rotation  of  the  drum  and  add  unnecessary  resistance  to  the 
speed  of  the  lure,  and  so  lose  the  advantages  of  a  freely 
rotating  drum.* 

Any  mechanical  checking  influence  on  a  drum  should  be 
definitely  limited  to  that  which  is  just  necessary,  and  so 
arranged  that  it  can  be  taken  off  or  put  on  at  pleasure 
during  the  time  the  lure  is  travelling  to  its  destination.  It 
is  obvious  that  the  slightest  excess  will  unnecessarily  check 
the  progress  of  the  lure,  and  a  still  greater  check  suddenly 
applied  will  be  fatal  to  the  success  of  the  cast. 

*  See  the  description  of  Spinning  Reels  in  final  chapter. 


SPINNING  WITH  A  SALMON  REEL 


365 


Also  it  must  be  evident  that  unless  such  a  delicate 
checking  influence  can  be  placed  by  means  of  a  lever  action 
on  or  off  the  drum  at  any  moment  desired  by  the  fisherman, 
the  delicate  action  of  the  forefinger  directly  applied  to  the 
rotatory  drum,  as  on  the  original  Nottingham  reel,  is 
preferable. 


E   CURVING 

LUA  C  ATTACHED  TO 

A  NOTTINGHAM 

BY  A  LINE    U 


D  < 


rL» 


Diagram  23. 

Showing  the  passage  of  a  lure  when  thrown  from  an  ordinary  Notting- 
ham spinning  reel. 


Diagrammatic   Consideration  of   Spinning    with    any 

MAKE   OF   THE  NOTTINGHAM   ReEL 

In  Diagram  23  the  spectator  is  supposed  to  be  above 
the  fisherman,  and  to  be  looking  downward  at  the  horizontal 
sweep  of  his  rod  and  lure. 

In  this  diagram  the  rod  can  be  regarded  as  the  radius  of  a 
circle,  of  which  C  is  the  centre,  T  the  top  ring  of  the  rod, 
and  D  the  place  at  which  the  line  has  to  fall. 

As  the  body  continues  in  an  upright  attitude,  and  as  the 


366  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

feet  are  not  moved  from  their  original  position  (see  Fig.  1, 
Plate  LII.),  C  may  be  taken  as  being  unaltered  during  the 
motion  of  spinning,  and  representing  the  vertical  centre 
of  the  fisherman's  body  and  the  pivot  on  which  the  rod  is 
moved. 

As  the  rod  commences  its  forward  side  movement  the  lure 
is  affected  by  radial  and  tangential  influences,  and  by 
the  time  the  rod,  in  its  accelerating  swing,  has  reached  some 
such  position  as  C^,  the  lure  should  not  only  have  acquired 
the  same  radial  velocity  as  the  rod  point,  but  should  have 
risen  to  the  plane  in  which  the  rod  point  is  moving,  and 
should  have  increased  its  speed  so  that  it  is  travelling  in  a 
line  with  the  rod  on  a  circle  concentric  with  that  made  by 
the  rod  point  (see  D  C  Ls,  Diagram  23)  but — so  far  as  the 
centifrugal  influence  is  concerned— its  movement  has  been 
checked  by  the  line  which  is  attached  to  the  drum  of  the 
reel,  and  the  centripetal  force  alone  is  taking  effect. 

So  long  as  the  speed  of  the  rod  is  unabated  and  the  length 
of  the  line  unaltered,  the  lure  will  continue  to  circle  in  its 
larger  concentric  circle  K.K.K. 

In  order  to  propel  the  lure  towards  the  fish  it  has  to  be 
released  from  this  circle,  and  to  obtain  accuracy  of  direction 
this  release  must  occur  at  some  definite  angle  of  its  radial 
swing. 

The  movement  of  the  rod  is,  however,  only  accelerated 
up  to  a  certain  angle  of  its  radial  movement,  after  which  its 
speed  begins  to  diminish.  In  order,  therefore,  to  get  the 
best  effect  of  this  accelerating  force  of  the  rod,  the  lure  has 
to  be  released  from  its  controlling  influences, — i.e.,  a 
free  rotation  of  the  drum  on  which  the  line  is  wound 
has  to  be  permitted — while  the  radial  speed  of  the 
rod  top  is  accelerating.  The  point  at  which  this  release 
is  effected  is  determined  by  such  a  trial  cast  as  already 
described. 


SPINNING  WITH  A  SALMON  REEL  367 

The  trajectory  of  the  lure  after  the  drum  is  released  from 
control  is  shown  in  Diagram  23.  This  curve  may  be  taken 
as  fairly  representing  the  course  of  a  lure  when  correctly 
thrown  from  any  make  of  a  Nottingham  reel. 

When  the  rod  in  its  side  swing  reaches  the  angle  at  which 
a  free  rotation  of  the  drum  is  required,  say  at  C  6,  the  drum 
is  permitted  its  freedom  of  revolution.  Were  the  lure 
entirely  released  from  control,  it  would  obey  its  centrifugal 
impulse,  and  fly  off  at  a  tangent  to  the  circle  in  which  it  had 
been  moving  (see  L^Q,  Diagram  23)  ;  but  it  is  not  free,  and 
we  have  to  consider  the  retarding  influence  of  the  line, 
which  not  only  prevents  its  taking  such  a  tangential  line 
as  L^Q,  but  which  will  affect  and  influence  its  direction 
onwards. 

As  the  lure  leaves  its  radial  course  and  assumes  a  tangential 
one,  the  line  will  begin  to  be  frictionally  affected  by  its 
passage  through  the  air,  by  the  frictional  resistance  of  the 
rod  rings,  and  by  its  having  to  overcome  the  inertia  of  the 
drum.  From  these  causes  the  direction  of  its  tangential 
flight  will  be  altered,  and  its  course  will  be  curved 
slightly  inward  and  towards  the  place  to  which  it  is 
destined. 

As  the  inertia  of  the  reel  is  overcome,  the  other  checking 
influences  increase  in  their  effect,  tending  to  check  the  passage 
of  the  lure  through  the  air  and  affecting  the  curvature  of 
its  course,  but  this  centripetal  influence  is  thereon  lessening 
gradually,  and  making  the  trajectory  flatter  in  character 
as  the  lure  travels  onwards  to  its  destination. 

The  principal  retarding  factor  is  the  line  to  which  the 
lure  is  attached.  Owing  to  the  free  rotation  of  the  drum  of 
the  reel  this  line  is  lengthening  rapidly,  and  owing  to  the 
curving  course  of  the  lure,  is  being  drawn  sideways  through 
the  air.  To  a  small  extent  it  is  being  moved  forward  at  one 
end  by  the  rod  top,  and  to  a  greater  extent  at  the  other  by 


368  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

the  lure,  and  each  increasing  inch  of  its  curving  surface  is 
subject  to  the  more  or  less  direct  frictional  resistance  of  the 
air. 

The  Check  on  the  Drum 

The  backward  belly  of  the  line  as  the  lure  travels  onward 
from  L  II  is  an  important  factor  in  accelerating  the 
revolution  of  the  drum  of  the  reel,  and  hence,  as  the  braking 
action  is  applied  to  the  drum,  and  as  the  lure  gets  more  into 
line  with  D,  Diagram  23,  this  belly  will  be  gradually 
straightened  out  and  if  the  reel  has  been  properly  controlled 
the  line  will,  by  the  time  the  lure  reaches  the  water,  be 
nearly  in  the  straight  line  of  CD. 

The  more  directly  the  lure  can  be  projected  to  its  destina- 
tion, the  less  will  it  require  centripetal  control  to  influence 
its  course;  the  more  divergently  the  line  is  projected  when 
released  from  control,  the  greater  will  be  its  curve  through 
the  air,  and  the  greater  will  be  the  resistance  it  meets,  and 
the  greater  the  necesssity  for  such  a  resistance  if  it  has  to  be 
curved  towards  its  destination. 

Hence,  if  the  greatest  possible  distance  of  casting  is 
required,  the  more  correct  the  principle  which  tends  to  reduce 
the  necessity  of  centripetal  influences  after  the  line  is 
liberated,  and  permits  of  a  direct,  or  at  least  of  a  more 
flattened  trajectory  between  the  rod  top  and  the  destination, 
the  better.  In  Diagram  23  the  greater  the  cord  HH,  the 
greater  will  be  the  retarding  influences  of  the  line,  and  the 
greater  the  necessity  for  such  retarding  and  curbing 
influences. 

But  the  necessity  for  this  centripetal  influence  ceases  as 
the  lure  approaches  its  destination  ;  for  its  course  becoming 
a  straight  one  the  influence  of  the  line  is  only  a  retarding 
one. 


SPINNING  WITH  A  SALMON  REEL  369 

The  Automatic  Starting  Mechanism  of  the  Drum  of 
Spinning  Reels 

Automatic  mechanism  for  starting  the  rotatory  action  of 
the  drum  of  a  spinning  reel,  in  order  to  lessen  the  retardation 
of  the  lure  caused  by  the  inertia  of  the  drum,  should  increase 
the  distance  to  which  the  lure  may  be  cast,  but  such 
mechanism  will  render  the  reel  more  complicated,  and  its 
management  more  difficult  to  acquire.  The  angles  at  which 
the  drum  is  automatically  started,  i.e.,  the  moment  when 
the  line  and  lure  are  released  from  the  check  of  the  drum, 
will  differ  from  the  angle  at  which  the  drum  is  released 
when  using  an  ordinary  Nottingham  spinning  reel,  and  the 
automatic  starting  apparatus  will  have  to  be  regulated  from 
time  to  time  in  sympathy  with  the  weight  of  the  lure  and  the 
velocity  imparted  to  it  by  the  radial  action  of  the  rod  point. 

If  for  instance  the  automatic  starting  gear  were  regulated 
for  casting  a  two  ounce  lure  from  a  twelve  foot  spinning  rod, 
it  would,  unless  altered,  give  the  drum  of  the  reel  a  rotatory 
velocity  greater  than  that  required  to  supply  the  line  which 
a  half  ounce  weight  cast  from  a  nine  foot  rod  requires,  and 
consequently  unless  regulated,  the  drum  would  over-run  the 
line  with  the  lighter  lure. 

If  the  lure  is  a  very  light  one,  and  the  line  to  which  it  is 
attached  is  wound  up  on  a  revolving  drum,  a  good  method 
of  releasing  the  line  is  that  in  which  the  spool  acts  as  does  the 
drum  of  the  Illingworth,  or  Malloch's  reel. 

The  lighter  the  lure,  the  greater  the  difficulty  in  over- 
coming the  inertia  of  the  drum,  and  the  greater  must  be  the 
trajectory  of  the  flight  to  its  destination  ;   and  vice  versa. 

The  greater  the  weight  of  the  lure,  the  greater  the  distance 
it  should  attain,  and  the  attempt  to  apply  automatic  methods 
of  overcoming  the  inertia  of  the  drum  at  the  moment  the 
line  is  released  in  the  act  of  spinning,  is  only  made  to  bring 
the  usefulness  of  the  ordinary  spinning  reel  into  line  with 


370  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

those  which,  like  the  lUingworth,  are  solely  designed  for 
casting  the  very  lightest  of  lures. 

It  is  a  simple  matter  to  apply  a  mechanism  to  a  spinning 
reel  so  that,  simultaneously  with  the  release  of  the  drum,  its 
rotatory  action  could  be  accelerated,  but  a  simple  and 
effective  means  of  regulating  this  impetus  to  the  various 
weights  of  the  lures  used  when  spinning  has  not  so  far  been 
established  on  a  reliable  basis. 

Automatically  starting  the  reel  will  also  mean  that  the 
lure  would  have  to  be  liberated  on  a  different  tangential 
line  to  that  adopted  in  the  ordinary  method  of  spinning 
from  the  Nottingham  reel,  and  a  fisherman  who  had  been 
accustomed  to  use  the  ordinary  Nottingham  reel  would  when 
using  this  accessory  have  to  vary  his  habit  of  casting.  He 
would,  if  everything  went  well,  reap  this  advantage —the 
lure  would  proceed  with  less  trajectory,  i.e.,  in  a  more  direct 
manner  to  its  destination —the  curvature  made  by  the  lure 
and  the  line  being  reduced — and  as  less  frictional  resistance 
would  then  be  offered  to  the  progress  of  the  lure,  a  greater 
distance  could  be  attained. 

It  seems  to  me  that  in  fishing  from  a  pier  or  from  the  shore 
line,  when  a  distant  cast  is  desirable,  such  a  mechanism  is 
hardly  necessary,  as  distances  approaching  117  yards 
have  been  achieved  when  using  the  original  Nottingham 
sea  fishing  reels. 

The  less  the  tangential  direction  is  altered  by  having 
to  overcome  the  inertia  of  the  reel,  the  more  directly  can 
the  lure  be  thrown  towards  its  destination. 

This  will  be  seen  from  the  Diagram  24.  For  the  sake 
of  argument  we  must  suppose  that  the  lure  which  is  attached 
to  the  rod  and  line  when  an  Illingworth  reel  is  used,  does  not 
suffer  from  retardation,  and  consider  at  what  point  the 
lure  should  be  released  during  the  swing  of  the  rod  in  order 
to  arrive  at  the  place  D. 


SPINNING  WITH  A  SALMON  REEL  371 

The  radial  direction  is  altering  at  each  second  of  the  rod 
action,  and  therefore  if  the  cord  of  an  arc  were  drawn  from 
a  point  A  in  the  circle  described  by  the  radial  movement  of 
the  top  rod,  one  inch  to  the  right  of  the  point  T,  which  is 
situated  at  a  right  angle  to  the  direction  D,  (Diagram  24), 
to  a  point  A  one  inch  to  the  left  of  T,  the  direction  of  AA 
would  indicate  the  direction  of  its  tangential  force,  and  a 
lure  suddenly  liberated  from  a  point  T  in  this  action  would 
fly  off  in  the  direction  of  D,  parallel  to  C  D. 

TANOCNTIAL  OWCCTtON  T 


Diagram  24. 

Showing  the  direction  taken  by  a  lure  liberated  at  T,  when  it  is  not 

subjected  to  centripetal  influence. 

In  Spinning  with  an  Illingworth  reel  or  a  Malloch  reel, 
this  is  practically  what  happens,  for  the  only  retardation 
is  one  which  is  due  to  the  frictional  contact  of  the  line 
with  the  rings  of  the  rod,*  and  that  made  in  passing  over  its 
own  turns  on  the  spool.  The  rod  force  therefore  culminates 
at  T,  and  the  lure  liberated  there  will  fly  off  in  the  tangential 
line  AA,  the  slight  retardation  above  mentioned  being  the 
direction  of  the  lure  round  and  towards  D. 

If,  however,  the  lure  be  not  liberated  in  the  true  meaning 
of  the  term,  retardation  of  some  sort  must  occur. 

*  This  is  noticeably  so  with  the  Malloch  reel,  for  the  spool  or  drum  of  the 
reel,  on  which  the  Une  is  wound,  is  from  three  to  four  inches  in  diameter,  and  as 
the  line  is  rapidly  drawn  ofiE  the  spool  in  the  axial  direction,  a  running  spiral 
curve  in  the  Une  is  created,  and  a  considerable  check  occurs  as  these  coils  pass 
through  the  guiding  rings  of  the  reel. 


372 


FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 


The  greater  the  retarding  forces  of  inertia,  the  resistance 
of  the  air,  etc.,  the  sooner  in  the  radial  swing  of  the  rod  must 
the  drum  be  permitted  to  revolve  freely. 


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'<*v 


Diagram  25. 

Showing  the  direction  taken  by  a  lure  when  hberated  at  T.      When 

this  is  subjected  to  centripetal  influence  its  course  curves  towards  D. 

When  using  an  ordinary  spinning  reel  the  drum  is  permitted 
its  freedom  when  the  rod  point  has  arrived  at  some  such 
angle  as  C  T,  and  as  the  lure  is  circling  round  in  the 
concentric  circle.  Its  centripetal  or  retarding  forces  have 
therefore  to  so  alter  the  direction  of  the  lure  from  the 
line  of  its  tangential  impulse  AA  as  to  curve  it  inward  to 
its  objective  point  at  D.     See  Diagram  25. 

We  must  now  consider  the  method  of  using  the  rod  when 
casting  the  lure  from  a  spinning  reel. 

The     Right    Side    Cast    with     the    Double-handed 

Spinning  Rod 
The  Spinning  Rod  should  be  held  in  a  similar  manner  to 
the  double-handed  fly  rod,  the  right  hand  being  above  the 
reel,  and  the  left  hand  below  it,  but  the  left  hand  should  be 


SPINNING  WITH  A  SALMON   REEL  373 

so  situated  that  it  can  easily  and  comfortably  control  the 
mechanism  of  the  spinning  reel. 

It  will  be  well  for  the  student  to  remember  that  the 
forward  movement  of  the  spinning  rod  is  the  only  one  which 
needs  any  consideration,  for  the  movement  which  corres- 
ponds to  the  backward  action  of  the  fly  rod  is  effected  by 
merely  winding  in  the  lure  and  turning  the  body  and  rod 
in  a  direction  more  or  less  opposite  to  the  spot  at  which  the 
lure  has  to  fall,  which  latter  is  indicated  by  the  letter  D 
in  Diagrams  23,  24  and  25. 

Practice  has  proved  that  if  a  swinging  impulse  is  given  to 
the  lure  prior  to  commencing  the  actual  forward  side  move- 
ment of  the  rod,  a  more  pleasant  and  effective  spinning  cast 
can  be  made ;  the  reason  being  that  such  a  swinging  motion 
brings  the  lure  at  the  end  of  its  back  swing  nearly  to  the  level 
of  the  top  of  the  rod,  thus  bringing  it  into  the  plane  in  which 
it  has  to  travel.  Consequently,  the  snatching  movement, 
which  is  so  perilous  to  an  effective  cast,  is  by  this  means 
avoided.  It  requires  some  little  attention,  however,  to 
effect  a  forward  motion  of  the  rod  at  the  correct  moment  of 
the  swing  of  the  lure,  and  therefore,  when  practising,  I 
should  advise  the  student  to  start  his  forward  swing  when 
the  lure  is  in  a  state  of  inertia.  He  can  thus  devote  his 
whole  attention  to  the  more  important  consideration  of  the 
forward  rod  action  and  the  manipulation  of  the  reel. 

The  Starting  Point 
The  forward  right  side  swing  of  the  rod  should  commence 
from  a  position  of  inertia,  the  lure  hanging  down  from  two 
to  three  feet  below  the  top  of  the  rod.  The  point  in  the 
horizontal  circle  to  which  the  rod  has  to  be  held,  when 
starting  this  movement,  will  depend  on  the  weight  of 
the  lure  which  is  being  thrown,  the  length  of  the  rod,  etc. 
The  lighter  the  spinning  bait,   the  greater  the  frictional 


374  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

resistance  to  the  free  rotation  of  the  drum  of  the  reel,  the 
shorter  the  rod,  etc.,  the  further  back  must  the  rod  be 
brought  before  starting  the  forward  cast  with  any  ordinary 
form  of  Nottingham  reel. 

Assuming  that  the  weight  of  the  lure  is  between  one  and 
two  ounces,  and  the  rod  about  eleven  feet  in  length,  the 
position  from  which  the  rod  point  should  start  will  be  an 
angle  of  about  thirty  degrees  to  the  right  hand  side  of  the 
fisherman  as  he  stands  with  his  back  to  D.  The  position 
of  the  body  should  be  as  shown  in  Plate  LII.,  Fig.  1,  the 
weight  should  be  on  the  right  foot,  the  arms  bent,  the  body 
upright,  and  facing  away  from  the  direction  D.  The  vertical 
angle  at  which  the  rod  should  be  held  is  about  twenty-two 
degrees  above  the  horizon. 

The  Action  of  the  Rod 

In  order  to  make  the  cast,  the  rod  should  be  swept  round 
sideways,  with  sufficient  radial  force  to  project  the  lure  to  D 
(Diagram  23).  The  hand  which  dominates  this  movement 
should  be  the  left  hand  as  in  the  forward,  side  or  overhead 
cast  with  the  fly  rod,  the  right  hand  acting  as  a  moving 
fulcrum  and  at  the  same  time  guiding  the  direction  of  the 
rod.     The  arms  should  not  be  straightened. 

The  actual  motion  of  the  arm  should  be  as  nearly  as 
possible  that  made  by  a  man  when  he  is  mowing.  The 
swing  of  the  rod  should  start  from  inertia,  as  in  the  golf 
drive,  and  its  motion  should  be  an  accelerating  one  until 
it  reaches  a  point  in  its  radial  swing— T — at  right  angles 
to  D  (Diagram  23).  Its  speed  should  have  been  such  that 
the  lure  will  have  extended  itself  in  the  same  line  as  the  rod 
before  the  drum  of  the  reel  is  released.  The  point  of  the 
rod  in  this  accelerando  swing  should  rise  gradually  in  order 
to  give  an  upward  as  well  as  a  radial  movement  to  the 
lure. 


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SPINNING  WITH  A  SALMON  REEL  375 

Figure  2,  Plate  LIL,  will  show  the  position  of  the 
body  just  after  the  drum  of  the  reel  has  been  released. 
It  will  be  noticed  that  the  rod  has  risen  from  an 
angle  of  twenty-two  degrees  to  about  forty-five  degrees 
above  the  horizon.  The  body  is  now  facing  sideways 
at  right  angles  to  the  line  of  D.*  The  weight  of  the 
body  now  rests  evenly  on  both  feet,  both  arms  are  bent, 
and  the  accelerating  motion  of  the  rod  has  just  reached 
its  culminating  point.  The  drum  being  released,  the  lure 
is  flying  off  more  or  less  at  a  tangent  to  the  circle  made  by  the 
rod  point.  As  has  already  been  explained  the  tangential 
direction  is  now  being  affected  by  several  curbing  factors., 
and  by  their  influence  it  will  be  drawn  gradually  round 
until  it  is,  while  gradually  losing  its  speed,  proceeding  in  an 
almost  direct  line  to  its  destination,  D.  The  drum  of  the 
reel,  however,  is  not  losing  its  speed  to  the  same  extent  as 
the  lure,  and  its  rotation  has,  as  explained  previously,  to  be 
delicately  retarded. 

Figure  3,  Plate  LIL,  shows  the  end  of  the  forward  cast. 
The  weight  of  the  body  is  now  resting  more  on  the  left  foot, 
the  rod  point  has  dropped  to  a  slightly  lower  angle,  and  the 
lure  is  falling  towards  D.*  The  arms  are  still  bent,  and  the 
rod  is  pointing  to  the  right  hand  of  the  line  D  (Diagram  23), 
but  the  rod  still  follows  the  line  as  it  settles  down,  and  should 
ultimately  point  to  the  spot  at  which  the  lure  falls  on  the 
water,  the  pressure  of  the  finger  being  then  released,  and  the 
reel  allowed  to  resume  its  normal  condition. 

If  the  correct  manipulation  of  the  reel  has  been  made  into 
a  habit,  the  whole  attention  can  be  devoted  to  the  movement 
of  the  rod ;  the  arms  should  do  the  work,  swinging  the  body 
at  the  same  time  as  the  rod. 

The  difiiculty  in  casting  from  the  spinning  reel  is  that  the 
mind  has  to  be  concentrated  on  a  rod  motion,  which  is  made 

♦See  Diagram  23. 


376  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

as  though  the  fisherman  were  casting  his  lure  to  a  point  at 
right  angles  to,  and  not  towards  D  (Diagram  23),  no  matter 
in  what  plane  the  cast  is  being  made. 

In  the  right  hand  side  cast  the  effort  should  be— as  at 
golf — a  swing,  whose  force  is  greatest  at  that  radial  point  of 
its  circling  movement,  which  is  at  right  angles  to  the 
direction  of  D  (Diagram  23).  In  the  overhead  cast 
the  swing  should  be  made  with  an  upward  motion  in  a 
vertical  arc  of  a  circle  instead  of  a  downward  one,*  the  mind 
being  concentrated  on  the  upward  effort,  the  greatest  force 
being  used  towards  the  zenith. 

I  cannot  help  referring  at  this  moment  to  the  oft-repeated 
advice,  "  Keep  your  eye  on  the  ball."  Golf  authorities  fre- 
quently refer  to  the  fault  of  not  keeping  the  head  down,  but  of 
moving  it  before  the  club  has  struck  the  ball,  their  idea  being 
that  the  movement  of  the  head,  or  the  fact  of  the  eye  being 
taken  off  the  ball,  is  responsible  for  the  foozling  of  the  shot. 

Accuracy  is  not  due,  however,  to  the  fact  that  the  eye 
is  kept  on  the  ball,  or  that  the  head  remains  stationary,  but 
that  the  mind  has  remained  stationary  to  the  object  which 
the  golfer  should  have  in  view,  i.e.,  the  striking  of  his  ball. 
If  his  attention  should  wander  from  this  object,  in  spite  of 
the  fact  that  his  head  is  kept  down,  he  will,  unless  he  has 
made  a  habit  of  a  correct  stroke,  foozle  his  shot.  If  for 
instance  his  mind  turns  to  the  consideration  of  the  direction 
in  which  his  ball  will  go  before  he  has  struck  the  ball,  his 
drive,  etc.,  will  suffer,  for  his  swing  will  not  reach  its 
maximum  force  when  the  face  of  the  club  comes  into  contact 
with  the  ball,  but  at  some  point  in  the  course  nearer  the 
direction  to  which  he  has  turned  his  attention. 

Among  the  many  fine  axioms  given  by  the  late  General 
Nogi  to  the  Japanese  youths,  on  the  night  of  the  funeral 
of  the  late  Emperor  of  Japan,  was  the  following  : 

*  As  at  golf. 


SPINNING  WITH  A  SALMON   REEL         377 

"  Pay  attention  to  what  you  are  looking  at.  A 
person  whose  eye  is  always  wandering  gives  evidence 
of  an  unstable  mind," 

or  in  other  words — A  wandering  eye  denotes  a  wandering 
thought. 

A  habit  having  already  been  formed  as  to  the  angle  at 
which  the  drum  has  to  be  released  from  the  controlling 
influence  of  the  pawl,  a  perfectly  even  accelerating 
movement  as  in  mowing  should  be  made  towards  and 
through  this  angle  to  a  point  at  right  angles  to  D,*  the  motion 
of  the  rod  diminishing  from  that  point  until  it  comes  to  a 
state  of  rest  as  shown  in  Figure  3. 

At  the  moment  when  the  lure  is  released,  it  shotdd  have 
been  flying  round  in  a  line  with  the  rod  and  concentric 
with  the  rod  top.  The  effect  of  releasing  the  drum  and 
allowing  the  centrifugal  force  to  come  into  play  will  be  to 
permit  the  lure  to  fly  outward  and  apparently,  to  the  eye 
of  the  fisherman,  be  retarded  slightly  behind  the  direction 
in  which  the  rod  is  moving,  but  as  the  frictional  resistance 
of  the  air  to  the  line,  and  the  frictional  resistance  of  the 
rings  of  the  rod  to  the  line,  etc.,  come  into  play,  and  as  the 
motion  of  the  rod  gradually  diminishes,  the  lure,  curving 
inward,  may  again  pass  the  direction  in  which  the  rod  is 
pointing  and  proceed  in  a  gradually  flattening  curve  to  D. 
The  body  should  be  kept  as  upright  as  possible  and  the 
weight  altered  from  foot  to  foot  as  in  the  golf  stroke. 

The  whole  of  these  movements  should  be  carefully  con- 
sidered, until  the  thoughts  which  have  to  accompany  the 
actions  become  a  mental  habit,  and  if  then  the  above  method 
of  spinning  be  adopted,  great  accuracy  in  casting  will  be 
attained — not  as  a  knack,  but  as  a  habit. 

Briefly,  when  the  position  No.  1,  Plate  LIL,  is  taken  up, 
the  attention  shoTild  be  directed  to  swinging  the  rod  with  a 

*  See  Diagram  23. 


378  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

circular  mowing  action  which  increases  in  speed  until  the 
rod  has  attained  a  position  T,  at  right  angles  to  D,  when  the 
rod  and  body  should  be  as  in  Figure  2.  The  dominant  force 
should  be  applied  through  the  left  hand,  and  the  lure 
released  from  radial  control  at  an  angle  such  as  A,  which  the 
trial  casts  have  shown  to  result  in  accuracy  of  direction. 
The  rod  should  rise  in  a  gradual  curve  and  its  speed  be 
gradually  lessened  after  passing  T.  The  final  position  of 
the  body  should  be  as  in  Figure  3.  The  rod,  after  it  has 
arrived  at  the  position  in  Figure  3,  Plate  LIT,  should  be 
permitted  to  settle  into  its  normal  fishing  position. 

In  Figure  3,  Plate  LIL,  I  have  faced  the  camera,  in  order 
to  show  the  exact  attitude  of  the  body,  arms  and  feet  at  the 
end  of  the  forward  swing.  The  spectator  has  to  imagine 
himself  as  being  at  the  position  D.,  Diagram  23,  at  which 
the  lure  has  to  alight,  and  not  at  T.,  as  in  Figures  1  and 2. 


CHAPTER    XX 

NEW    ZEALAND    AS    A    FISHING    GROUND 

The  Northern  and  Southern  Islands  of  New  Zealand  have 
well  been  called  the  "  Fisherman's  Paradise,"  but  the 
Dominion  of  New  Zealand  is  as  remarkable  for  its  enjoyable 
climate,  its  beautiful  scenery  and  its  excellent  shooting,  as 
for  its  unrivalled  trout  fishing.  The  visitor  will  be  well 
advised  not  only  to  take  his  fishing  gear,  but  also  his  shooting 
outfit  and  his  camera. 

The  moose.  Wapiti,  Virginia,  Columbia,  Axis,  Japanese 
deer  and  chamois,  and  mountain  goats  have  been  introduced 
for  several  years,  and  are  increasing  so  rapidly  that  they  will 
soon  (1914)  be  included  in  the  shooting  now  open  to  sports- 
men ;  the  red  deer  afford  trophies  finer  and  larger  than  are 
obtainable  in  Europe. 

Loch  Leven  and  Rainbow  trout  attain  a  size  unknown  in 
other  parts  of  the  world,  affording  in  every  part  of  the 
islands  the  most  excellent  sport,  and  wild  cattle,  wild  boar, 
wild  duck,  wild  goats,  pigeons,  pheasants,  hares,  etc.,  are 
common  in  many  parts  of  both  islands. 

The  fisherman  has  the  choice  of  either  wet  or  dry  fly 
fishing,  spinning  or  trolling— with  the  certainty  that  in  every 
district  he  visits  he  will  not  only  find  abundance  of  fish,  but 
fish  whose  size  and  fighting  qualities  are  unequalled,  while 
his  sport  will  take  him  into  regions  whose  interest  and 
beauty  are  unsurpassed  in  their  variety  and  charm. 

That  both  the  Rainbow  and  the  Brown  trout  grow  to  a 
size  unknown  elsewhere  and  multiply  so  rapidly  is  due  first 

379 


380  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

to  the  abundant  supply  of  natural  food  in  the  rivers  of  New 
Zealand,  secondly,  to  the  climatic  and  meteorological 
conditions,  which  are  eminently  suitable  to  their  growth, 
etc.,  and  thirdly,  because  there  are  no  otters  or  other 
enemies  of  their  own  kind  preying  upon  them  or  their 
natural  food.  In  Canadian  rivers  and  lakes,  which  present  a 
vast  and  varied  field  to  the  fisherman,  many  other  kinds  of  fish 
exist,  and,  like  the  muscalonge,  feed  on  and  destroy  every 
other  variety  of  fish,  including  trout. 

Trout  fishing  commences  in  both  Islands  on  Octo- 
ber I  and  continues  until  April  30,  with  the  exception 
of  the  Rotorua  district,  where  the  season  opens  on 
November  i,  and  continues  to  the  end  of  May.  It 
is  advisable  therefore,  when  it  is  desired  to  fish  for  the 
whole  season  in  New  Zealand,  to  start  in  the  South  Island. 
If  the  tourist  arrives  at  Christchurch  in  the  South  Island 
about  October  i,  he  will  be  able  to  get  good  fishing 
at  once.  He  will  find  that  the  first  month  of  the  season 
is  not  so  favourable  to  dry  fly  fishing  as  fishing  with  the  wet 
fly  or  minnow.  In  the  rivers  it  will  later  on  be  possible,  with 
the  dry  fly,  to  kill  trout  up  to  3  and  4  pounds  in 
weight,  while  the  average  weight  for  the  trout  in  the 
smaller  streams  may  be  regarded  as  about  one  pound. 

The  brown  trout  run  up  to  15  or  20  pounds  in 
weight,  and  though  big  trout  may  occasionally  be  induced 
to  take  the  dry  fly,  yet  the  wet  fly  or  the  minnow  at  the 
opening  of  the  season  will  be  the  best  method   of  fishing. 

The  natural  food  of  the  trout  is  abundant,  but  it  is  varied, 
and  the  fisherman  should  have  and  be  able  to  use  different 
kinds  of  lures,  in  order  to  imitate  the  food  upon  which  the 
fish  is  feeding  at  any  particular  moment  of  the  day,  night  or 
season. 

The  fisherman  who  goes  to  New  Zealand  unaccompanied 
by  a  servant  may  find  it  difficult  to  obtain  a  man  who  will 


NEW  ZEALAND  AS  A  FISHING  GROUND      381 

serve  as  a  gillie  or  a  body  servant.  Wages  are  high,  work 
is  abundant,  men  are  scarce,  and  in  such  a  democratic 
country  as  New  Zealand  there  is  a  disinclination  on  the  part 
of  the  class  which  is  represented  by  those  to  whom  we  allude 
as  the  labouring  or  servant  class,  to  render  personal  services 
to  any  man.  If  therefore  the  tourist  is  used  to  the  services 
of  a  valet  nothing  would  suit  his  book  better  than  to  take 
such  a  servant  with  him  to  New  Zealand,  and  if  such  an  one 
can  cook,  can  valet,  and  is  accustomed  to  roughing  it,  he 
will  be  of  the  greatest  possible  use  and  comfort  during  a 
fishing  trip.  If  not,  it  is  better  on  one's  arrival  at  Christ- 
church  or  Wellington  to  try  and  obtain  the  services  of  some 
such  a  servant,  especially  one  who  has  already  had  some 
experience  of  camping  out  in  New  Zealand. 

In  the  South  Island  the  streams  are,  I  think,  more  get- 
at-able  than  in  the  North  Island,  and  if  the  fisherman 
desires  to  be  independent  and  to  start  at  any  particular 
moment  from  one  place  to  another,  or  to  go  to  any  place 
for  a  few  days  or  hours,  the  trip  will  be  rendered  much  more 
pleasant  if  he  has  his  own  means  of  transport. 

The  tourist  to  New  Zealand  must  remember  that  those 
rivers  in  which  he  may  get  the  best  sport  are  likely  to  be  in 
districts  which  are  often  inaccessible  to  either  motor  car 
or  buggy.  In  these  cases  if  horse  vehicles  are  used  the 
animals  can  be  turned  into  pack  horses  as  occasion  requires, 
and  the  necessary  tent,  food  and  clothing  can  be  taken  from 
the  buggy,  etc.,  to  any  desired  fishing.  A  buggy  with  two 
horses  can  be  hired  at  a  certain  definite  price,  and  can  be 
taken  for  a  week,  for  a  month  or  longer,  and  may  be  only 
necessary  for  a  certain  portion  of  the  trip.  If  a  long  journey 
has  to  be  made  the  railway  companies  offer  facilities  for 
transporting  both  horse  and  buggy,  motor  car,  etc.  Better 
still  than  depending  on  horses,  which  after  all  take  up  a 
considerable   amount    of  time    in   grooming,    feeding   and 


382  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

watching,  is  to  hire  a  car.  There  are  several  agencies  for 
letting  out  touring  cars,  and,  as  the  roads  as  a  general  rule 
are  quite  good  enough  for  motor  travelling,  a  car  is  obviously 
much  more  convenient  for  transporting  one's  belongings  and 
for  rapid  transport.  If  a  car  be  taken  it  can  be  left  at  the 
nearest  farm  house  when  the  neighbouring  rivers  are  being 
fished.  The  farmer  can  be  relied  on  for  helping — and 
guiding  the  fisherman  to  the  water  he  wishes  to  fish.  These 
suggestions  are  made,  if  perfect  freedom  of  action,  com- 
parative independence,  and  comfort  be  a  consideration, 
but  if  the  fisherman  is  contented  with  getting  the  ordinary- 
trout  fishing  common  all  over  the  Northern  and  Southern 
Islands,  he  has  ample  opportunities  of  obtaining  the  best 
brown  trout  fishing  in  the  world,  by  depending  on  coaches, 
postal  arrangements,  railways,  and  the  help  of  the  New 
Zealand  Tourist  Agency. 

All  of  the  streams  and  rivers  of  both  Islands  can  be  fished 
from  the  banks,  by  wading  or  from  canoes.  The  streams 
and  rivers  of  the  Southern  Island  are  more  open  and  more 
easily  fishable  from  the  bank  than  those  of  the  Northern 
Island. 

Near  the  mouths  of  the  rivers,  in  or  just  above  tidal 
water,  are  some  of  the  largest  brown  trout  in  the  world, 
running  from  15  to  24  pounds  in  weight,  and  affording 
most  exciting  sport.  The  times  at  which  these  big 
trout  seem  to  be  most  frequently  taken  are  during  the 
half  lights — early  in  the  morning  or  late  in  the  evening — 
but  the  movements  of  the  tide  will  alter  the  time  of  day 
which  gives  the  best  sport — the  trout  coming  in  with  the 
tide  and  descending  again  as  the  tide  runs  out.  When 
fishing  for  these,  salmon  tackle  will  have  to  be  used.  The 
rush  down-stream  of  these  monsters  can  only  be  met  by 
the  strongest  tackle  and  the  most  determined  opposition. 
Although  the  general  fighting  character  of  these  big  brown 


NEW  ZEALAND  AS  A  FISHING  GROUND      383 

trout  varies  according  to  the  season,  the  average  fish  will 
put  up  a  fight  equal  to  any  clean  run  salmon  of  equal  weight. 
Night  fishing,  however,  is  in  my  opinion  never  so  satis- 
factory as  day  fishing.  Fish  will  rarely  play  at  night  with 
the  same  dash  and  vigour  that  they  show  during  the  day- 
light. This  may  have  some  bearing  on  brown  trout  fishing 
in  New  Zealand  (Southern  Island)  for  it  is  a  fact  that 
the  vigour  and  resistance  of  the  trout  vary  tremendously 
at  different  times,  and  that  though  day  after  day  and  night 
after  night,  each  fish  may  put  up  a  magnificent  fight,  yet 
this  glorious  spell  of  good  fishing  will  be  followed  by 
others  during  which  the  resistance  of  the  trout  caught  would 
hardly  excel  that  offered  by  a  fairly  good  stream  caught 
English  pike.  In  this  respect  the  brown  trout  differs  from 
the  rainbow  trout  or  the  sea  trout ;  either  of  the  latter  will 
always  fight  vigorously  to  a  finish.  In  any  case,  taking  an 
average  of  pound  for  pound,  the  brown  trout  will,  I  con- 
sider, during  a  season  afford  more  sport  than  will  a  salmon 
under  similar  conditions. 

In  addition  to  brown  trout  a  certain  number  of  rainbow 
trout  are  to  be  met  with  in  the  Southern  Island,  but  the 
brown  or  Loch  Leven  trout  are  the  most  common  fish  the 
tourist  will  encounter.  Besides  brown  trout,  eels,  which 
grow  to  a  tremendous  size,  exist  in  some  of  the  lagoons, 
reaching  as  much  as  30  pounds  in  weight.  These  eels 
will  feed  on  water  fowl,  are  tremendously  voracious  and 
would  no  doubt  attack  any  living  creature  unlucky  enough 
to  fall  into  the  water.  The  colonists  in  certain  parts  kill 
them  by  spearing  them.  A  client  of  mine  having  shot  a 
water  fowl  of  some  size,  was  amazed  to  see  it  seized  and 
torn  to  pieces  by  eels  in  one  of  the  lagoons  high  up  among 
the  mountains  of  the  Southern  Island. 

In  some  parts  of  the  South  of  New  Zealand  during  the 
warm  weather  the  fisherman  is  subject  to  the  attacks  of 


384  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

sand  flies,  etc.,  which  are  so  bad  that  without  some  effective 
fly  repeller  they  will  most  effectually  prevent  fishing.  The 
specific  sold  by  Messrs.  Allen  and  Hanburys,  Ltd.,  called 
"  Muscabane,"  is  unrivalled  in  its  power  of  driving  away 
every  kind  of  flying  or  creeping  insect  pest.  It  is  made  up 
in  one  ounce  and  two  ounce  tubes,  and  the  effect  of  a  very 
little  of  this  cream  applied  to  the  face,  neck,  arms,  etc., 
will  last  for  several  hours.  It  is  not  only  a  preventive,  but 
it  is  a  cure  for  bites  already  inflicted,  and  is  extremely 
pleasant  in  its  perfume. 

In  no  other  country  in  the  world  does  the  Government 
take  such  a  paternal  interest  in  the  success  of  the  sportsmen 
who  visit  its  shores  as  does  the  New  Zealand  Government 
with  regard  to  its  sporting  visitors.  Both  in  the  Northern 
and  Southern  Islands  are  established  numerous  ofiices  of  the 
New  Zealand  Government  Tourist  Agency,  and  if  the  tourist 
be  in  difficulties,  no  matter  what  the  circumstances,  if  he 
can  only  get  a  message  to  the  nearest  office  of  the  agency, 
he  will  find  his  difficulties  are  things  of  the  past.  Every 
information  as  regards  hotels,  fishing  and  shooting  districts 
and  quarters,  mountaineering  or  sight-seeing,  is  provided 
free  of  charge,  and  the  visitor  can  place  himself  unreservedly 
in  the  agents'  hands,  secure  in  the  knowledge  that  the  best 
and  at  the  same  time  the  most  moderate  methods  of 
accomplishing  the  object  of  his  visit  to  New  Zealand  will  be 
explained  to  him. 

Convenient  and  cheap  railways,  steamboats  and  coaches 
take  the  tourist  from  one  part  of  New  Zealand  to  any  other 
part,  and  the  expenses  of  a  fishing  trip  to  that  country 
compare  very  favourably  with  those  of  a  fishing  trip  in  any 
other  portion  of  the  world,  while  the  certainty  of  obtaining 
any  amount  of  the  best  sport  is  assured.  Not  only  have  the 
moose,  the  elk,  and  Virginia  deer  been  introduced  by  the 
agency  of  the  New  Zealand  Tourist  Department,  but  the 


NEW  ZEALAND  AS  A  FISHING  GROUND      385 

red  deer  and  wild  boar,  pheasants  and  abundance  of  birds 
are  common  and  afford  excellent  sport.  The  cost  of  a 
sportsman's  licence,  which  has  to  be  obtained  from  the 
Government,  is  by  no  means  heavy.  The  boars  have  been 
a  feature  of  both  islands  since  the  days  of  Captain  Cook,  who 
touched  at  Wellington  on  his  passage  between  the  Northern 
and  Southern  Islands,  and  the  descendants  of  the  pigs  he  let 
loose  on  the  Southern  Island  provide  some  of  the  finest 
trophies  obtainable  anywhere. 

The  fishing  in  the  Southern  Island  can  be  enjoyed  until 
after  Christmas,  and  it  will  then  be  well  for  the  tourist  to 
proceed  to  the  Northern  Island — the  island  which  is  so 
celebrated  for  its  rainbow  trout.  The  two  or  three  months 
which  he  will  thus  spend  in  the  lower  island  will  have 
afforded  him  experience  which  will  be  among  the  most 
exciting  and  pleasant  reminiscences  of  his  life  time.  He  will 
have  had  some  thoroughly  good  sport,  he  may  possibly 
have  come  across  many  other  travellers  and  have  formed 
many  delightful  acquaintances,  while  he  will  have  been 
living  amongst  the  most  beautiful,  striking  and  interesting 
scenery  in  the  world. 

The  fishing  tourist  in  the  Northern  Island  should  depend 
on  the  advice  he  receives  from  the  New  Zealand  Agency  with 
regard  to  the  best  method  of  reaching  the  particular  rivers 
he  desires  to  fish. 

The  most  interesting  river  in  New  Zealand  is  the 
Wanganui.  It  can  be  reached  easily  by  rail,  either  from 
Wellington  or  Auckland,  and  both  above  and  below 
Taumarunuii  it  should  be  fished  from  a  boat  or  canoe. 
It  is  probably  the  most  beautiful  river  in  the  world, 
unsurpassed  either  in  its  grandeur  or  scenery.  It  flows 
from  the  centre  of  the  Northern  Island  and  empties  itself 
into  the  sea  about  150  miles  north  of  Wellington. 
The    Wanganui     is     as     rich    in    legendary    lore    as    in 

26 


386  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

grandeur  and  beauty.  Brown  trout  are  not  common, 
but  rainbow  trout  from  4  to  20  pounds  are  killed  in  this 
river.  Both  wet  and  dry  fly  should  be  used.  The  most 
desirable  way  of  fishing  this  river  is  to  obtain  Maori  guides 
with  canoes,  start  well  up  towards  the  source,  and  dropping 
down  with  the  current,  fish  and  camp  as  fancy  dictates. 
Sometimes,  it  maybe,  the  main  river  will  be  joined  by  some 
beautiful  and  trout-abounding  streams,  but  whether  fishing 
these  with  the  dry  fly,  the  glides  with  the  wet,  or  spinning 
in  the  rougher  water  of  the  rapids,  sport,  and  sport  of  the 
best,  will  be  there,  and  in  a  profusion  sufficient  to  glut  the 
appetite  of  the  most  determined  record  hunter.  If  one 
of  the  party  happens  to  be  a  good  cook,  and  if  rifles  and  guns 
are  taken,  the  fisherman  will  be  certain  that  his  larder  will 
be  supplied  at  times  with  other  forms  of  food. 

Leaving  the  Wanganui,  the  best  known  resort  for  fisher- 
men, there  is  the  Taupo  or  the  Rotorua  country  where 
the  tourist  will  be  in  the  midst  of  the  wildest  and  most 
volcanic  part  of  the  thermal  district,  and  in  the  centre  of 
probably  the  best  and  most  prolific  trout  fishing  in  the  world. 
For  two  or  three  years,  now  happily  past,  in  some  of  the 
lakes  of  the  Rotorua  district  the  fish  seemed  to  be  troubled 
by  disease,  a  great  many  of  those  caught  presenting  the 
appearance  rather  of  kelts  than  of  healthy  fish  ;  this  may 
perhaps  have  been  due  to  the  tremendous  slaughter  which 
had  been  going  on  during  the  preceding  years.  Mr.  Donne, 
for  a  long  time  the  head  of  the  New  Zealand  Agency  and 
one  of  the  best  known  sportsmen  in  New  Zealand,  considers, 
and  with  reason,  that  the  better  and  stronger  fish  were 
naturally  the  first  to  seize  the  bait  and  the  first  to  be  caught 
and  it  was  not  until  these  began  to  be  killed  off  that  the 
leaner  and  poorer  ones  began  to  be  in  evidence.  Mr.  Donne, 
who  is  now  the  Representative  of  Emigration  at  the  High 
Commissioner's  Oflice  in  Victoria  Street,  London,  was  the 


PLATE    Llll. 


PLATE    LIV. 


The  Buller  River. 


The  Wanganui. 

PLATE    LV. 


Landing  a  2-lb.  Brown  Trout,  Southern  Island,   New   Zealand. 


NEW  ZEALAND  AS  A  FISHING  GROUND      387 

principal  or  head  agent  of  the  New  Zealand  Government 
Tourist  Department,  and  as  such  he  arranged  a  system 
of  pounds  in  each  of  the  larger  rivers  running  into  Rotorua, 
and  all  those  fish  taken  in  these  pounds,  which  presented 
a  kelt-like  or  diseased  appearance  were  killed  and  used 
as  manure,  the  healthy  fish  alone  being  allowed  to  live. 
By  this  means  the  size  and  quality  of  the  fish  during  the  last 
five  or  six  years  has  considerably  improved,  and  the  kelt- 
like trout  have  practically  disappeared.  Plentiful  as  is  the 
supply  of  natural  bait  in  these  waters,  yet  it  may  not  have 
been  sufficient  to  provide  food  for  the  immense  numbers 
of  rainbow  trout  which  have  thronged  these  lakes.  I  think 
also  that  the  temporary  falling  off  in  the  weight  and 
condition  of  the  trout  in  Rotorua  may  be  due  to  the  effect 
of  the  sulphur  springs. 

It  is  well  to  remember  that  in  all  volcanic  regions,  the  seis- 
matic  disturbances  are  the  pulses  which  indicate  the  vital 
energy  of  the  moment — pulses  which  beat,  therefore,  with 
intermittent  force,  and  consequently  the  amount  of  sulphur 
which  these  volcanic  agencies  send  to  the  surface  of 
these  lakes  may  undoubtedly  have  been  greater  during 
the  one,  two  or  three  years,  in  which  the  condition  of  the 
trout  suffered,  than  during  the  preceding  or  succeeding  one, 
two  or  three  years.  This,  then,  may  have  been  the  factor 
which  caused  the  temporary  deterioration  in  the  condition 
of  the  rainbow  and  brown  trout  with  which  the  rivers  and 
lakes  of  Rotorua  were  supplied.  Quite  apart  from  the 
scientific  aspect  of  the  illness  which  attacked  the  trout  of 
Rotorua  is  the  report  of  all  fishermen  that  the  trout  which 
presented  the  kelt-like  appearance  were  more  or  less  affected 
by  a  species  of  worm.  As  worms  are  common  among  English 
trout  in  certain  seasons  of  the  year,  this  may  have  been  only 
applicable  to  certain  meteorological  conditions  of  New 
Zealand.     Rotorua  was  the  first  place  where  the  rainbow 


388  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

trout  were  introduced,  and  the  catches  of  them  in] these 
lakes  continue  to  furnish  new  and  wonderful  records  for 
lake  fishing. 

Undoubtedly  the  river  in  New  Zealand  which  has  yielded 
the  greatest  individual  takes  of  trout,  and  which  is  there- 
fore the  best  trout  river  in  the  world  is  the  Tongariro. 

As  regards  the  size  of  the  rainbow  trout  in  the  Northern 
Island  fishing,  where  the  Tongariro  discharges  itself  into 
Lake  Taupo,  six  trout  were  taken  by  one  rod  in  191 1  on 
one  night  averaging  17  pounds  each. 

The  female  rainbow  trout  in  the  Northern  Island  in 
January  and  February  will  give  as  much  fun  as  sea  trout 
of  the  same  weight.  This  is  the  highest  praise  that  can  be 
bestowed  on  a  fish,  and  although  the  big  fish  do  not  come 
at  the  dry  fly,  the  struggle  that  ensues  when  a  fish  is  caught 
with  a  wet  fly,  will  repay  the  voyage  to  New  Zealand. 

Major  Squire,  a  fishing  client  of  mine,  killed  in  thirty-six 
days  240  rainbow  trout  weighing  2,034  pounds,  an  average  of 
8J  pounds  per  fish.  My  friend,  however,  whose  interests 
are  by  no  means  centred  in  making  records,  looks  upon  his 
fishing  as  a  scientific  pleasure,  and  did  not  attempt  in  any 
way  to  emulate  others,  simply  fishing  as  the  fancy  took  him 
and  discontinuing  his  fishing  when  he  was  tired.  In  1910 
one  of  the  most  indefatigable  fishermen  of  New 
Zealand,  in  one  day  caught  forty-two  fish,  weighing  419 
pounds,  and  of  these  thirty-seven  were  killed  on  the 
fly.  As  this  means  an  average  of  10  pounds  to  a  fish, 
I  should  think  no  more  wonderful  record  has  ever  been 
made.  Not  only  does  it  show  the  wonderful  richness  of 
the  river,  but  it  speaks  of  extraordinary  endurance  on  the 
part  of  the  fisherman.  When  it  is  remembered  that  a  rain- 
bow of  10  pounds  will  on  the  average  give  as  much  fight 
as  a  fresh  running  salmon  of  16  pounds,  the  endurance 
in  making  such  a  record  is  marvellous.     I  have  received 


NEW  ZEALAND  AS  A  FISHING  GROUND      389 

from  clients  of  mine,  who  have  gone  out  this  1912  and  1913 
season,  the  best  of  reports  from  both  Islands  as  to  the  trout 
fishing.  The  fish  are  reported  as  being  in  excellent  condition 
and  plentiful,  the  rivers  specially  mentioned  being  the 
Onira,  Waikato,  Rangotata,  Tearoha,  and  Rakahi.  Lake 
Taupo  has  also  been  fishing  remarkably  well. 

In  1905  a  gentleman,  Mr.  Hardy  Topham,  came  down 
from  London  to  Sidmouth,  at  which  place  I  was  staying,  in 
order  to  induce  me  to  give  him  lessons  in  casting  a  trout  fly. 
I  had  not  considered  the  idea  of  starting  a  school  at  that 
time,  but  finding  he  was  on  the  point  of  going  out  to  New 
Zealand  for  a  six  months'  trip,  and  that  he  had  had  no 
experience  in  fishing  at  all,  I  therefore  took  him  with  me 
for  a  few  hours'  instruction  on  the  stream  I  was  fishing  in 
Devonshire.  In  the  spring  of  the  following  year,  when  he 
returned  to  England,  I  received  a  letter  from  him,  thanking 
me  for  having  taught  him  how  to  cast,  and  stating  that  he 
had  had  the  greatest  success  in  New  Zealand,  as  during  the 
time  he  had  been  out  there  he  had  caught  with  the  dry 
and  wet  fly  over  1,500  fish,  whose  weight  amounted  to  4,500 
pounds. 

Another  of  my  clients.  Sir  Edmund  Lechmere,  Bart., 
a  well-known  African  sportsman,  killed  in  the  Tongariro 
River,  two  Trout  weighing  16f  and  17 1  pounds  respectively, 
and  many  others  in  the  same  river  up  to  13|  pounds. 

My  reason  for  quoting  a  few  of  the  wonderful  records  which 
have  been  made  in  trout  fishing  in  New  Zealand  is  to  give 
my  readers  some  insight  into  the  abundance  of  sport  which 
is  open  to  the  fisherman  who  has  the  good  fortune  to  visit 
that  country.  While  the  pride  which  attends  the  lucky 
possessor  of  some  record  head,  or  other  trophy,  is  under- 
standable, the  indiscriminate  slaughter  of  natural  life  which 
attends  the  making  of  a  record  bag,  can  only  be  accounted 
for  by  either  the  lust  of  killing  or  tl^e  wish  to  gain  some 


390  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

momentary  distinction  in  the  world  of  sport,  and  while 
the  latter  vanity  may  be  somewhat  explainable  in  the 
beginner  who  has  had  his  imagination  fired  by  the  deeds  of 
others,  it  is  excusable  in  none.  The  judicious  conservation 
of  wild  game  in  any  country  is  the  duty  of  those  who  govern, 
and  while  the  New  Zealand  Government  is  fully  aware 
of  this  duty,  it  considers  that  up  to  the  present,  owing  to 
the  abundance  of  trout,  no  ill  effect  has  been  produced  by 
that  which  strikes  the  outsider  as  indiscriminate  and  waste- 
ful slaughter  of  the  game  fish  which  abound  in  the  rivers 
and  lakes. 

One  of  the  most  pleasant,  health-giving  and  instructive 
sporting  trips  which  can  be  taken  is  that  from  London  to 
New  Zealand  via  St.  Vincent  and  the  Cape,  thence  via 
Sydney  and  Honolulu  to  Vancouver,  across  the  Rockies, 
through  Canada  (seeing  Niagara)  to  Montreal  and  Quebec, 
down  the  St.  Lawrence  and  thence  to  Liverpool. 

No  better  line  can  be  chosen  for  the  New  Zealand  voyage 
than  the  New  Zealand  Company's  line  to  Christchurch,  and 
by  leaving  England  about  the  first  of  October,  the  traveller 
will  arrive  at  Christchurch  for  the  fishing  season,  and  after 
fishing,  and  travelling  in  the  Southern  and  Northern 
Islands,  he  can  then  proceed  to  Sydney  in  time  to  enjoy  the 
trout  fishing  in  the  Blue  Mountain  district  and  other  parts 
of  New  South  Wales. 

Through  the  Canadian  Pacific  Company's  agents  in 
Sydney  he  can  then  book  his  passage  to  London,  his  ticket 
allowing  him  to  stop  wherever  he  may  desire  and  for  so 
long  as  he  pleases.  He  will  visit  Honolulu  on  his  way  to 
Vancouver,  arriving  in  time  to  enjoy  the  first  of  the  fishing 
in  Vancouver  Island,  and  in  Vancouver  itself. 

The  wonder  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  scenery,  the  agri- 
cultural land  of  the  West,  the  North  shore  of  Lake  Superior, 
the  Provinces  of  Ontario  and  Quebec,  etc.,  with  all  their 


NEW  ZEALAND  AS  A  FISHING  GROUND      391 

wealth  of  scenery  and  sporting  advantages,  will  be  passed 
through,  and  finally  shipping  from  Quebec  in  the  Canadian 
Pacific's  Railway  Company's  boats — possibly  the  most 
comfortable  and  best  equipped  in  the  world — the  traveller 
will,  after  a  delightful  trip  down  the  St.  Lawrence,  and 
across  the  Atlantic,  arrive  at  Liverpool. 

By  such  an  all  round  trip,  the  tourist  will  have  experienced 
the  finest  trout  and  salmon  fishing  in  the  world,  he  will  have 
been  travelling  all  the  time  in  British  boats,  seeing  the 
wonders  of  our  Colonies  during  the  most  delightful  seasons, 
skipping  the  northern  winter,  and,  if  he  was  not  formerly 
experienced  it,  he  will  have  found  the  real  charm  of  English 
colonial  life. 


CHAPTER    XXI 

FISHING    IN    CANADA 

It  is  owing  to  the  repeated  enquiry  of  my  clients  with  regard 
to  Canada  as  a  fishing  ground  that  I  am  endeavouring  in  a 
short  chapter  to  give  some  indication  of  the  fishing  to  be 
obtained  there. 

Canada  offers  a  vaster  field  and  a  greater  variety  of  sport 
than  any  other  country  in  the  world.  In  Canada,  if  the 
fisherman  will  take  the  trouble  to  travel  away  from  the  beaten 
track,  away  from  the  railways  and  the  big  towns,  he  is 
certain  under  good  guidance  to  obtain  excellent  sport  in  the 
way  of  fishing ;  but  although  trout  rivers  and  streams  are 
plentiful,  the  visitor  must  not  expect  in  all  districts  to 
find  a  plethora  of  trout,  though  there  are  always  sufficient 
in  the  Canadian  streams  and  lakes  to  afford   good  sport. 

One  of  the  many  enjoyable  methods  of  getting  trout 
fishing  in  Canada  is  by  taking  guides  and  a  suitable  outfit, 
and  adopting  the  Canadian  method  of  camping  out,  and  it 
is  in  this  innovation  that  the  charm  of  Canadian  outdoor  life 
will  be  realized.  It  is  the  delight  of  living  in  the  open, 
surrounded  by  the  wildest  and  grandest  scenery  of  Canada, 
which  repays,  and  it  is  because  the  average  fisherman  has  with- 
in himself  a  keen  love  of  the  natural,  and  an  appreciation  of 
the  rugged  grandeur  of  mountain  and  forest  scenery,  that  the 
ever  varying  beauties  of  the  spots  to  which  his  sport  will 
take  him  in  Canada  will  well  repay  him  for  roughing  it 
and  for  the  time  he  spends  in  such  fishing  expeditions,  even 
should  sport  fail  to  realize  his  expectations. 

S92 


FISHING  IN  CANADA  393 

The  fish  which  abound  in  Canada  include  different  varieties 
of  salmon  and  nearly  every  variety  of  trout,  as  well  as  those 
splendid  game  fish  the  bass,  the  maskinonge,  and  the 
ouananiche  or  land-locked  salmon. 

The  big  game  of  the  Dominion  comprise  moose,  deer, 
caribou,  wapiti,  bighorn  or  mountain  sheep,  musk  ox,  grizzly 
bear,  black  bear,  wolf,  puma,  Canadian  lynx  and  antelope. 
Most  of  the  species  of  game  now  found  in  Canada  were 
formerly  common  to  the  whole  of  the  continent  of  America, 
but  many  of  them  have  been  altogether  driven  out  of  the 
United  States  by  the  steady  march  of  civilization,  and  have 
retreated  beyond  the  international  boundary  to  take  up 
their  abode  in  the  greater  freedom  of  the  north.  Here  big 
game  and  small  are  yet  to  be  found  in  great  numbers,  and 
Canada  is  therefore  still  one  of  the  chief  fur-producing  coun- 
tries in  the  world.  In  Canada  the  value  of  the  wild  life 
of  the  country  has  long  been  recognized,  and  by  wise  laws 
the  Federal  and  Provincial  Governments  have  protected  all 
kinds  of  game  from  indiscriminate  slaughter.  Educated 
sportsmen  throughout  the  Dominion  are  co-operating  in  this 
protection  by  the  formation  of  game  protective  associations, 
and,  as  a  consequence  of  this,  big  game  has  been  on  the  in- 
crease in  Canada  during  recent  years,  while  at  the  same  time 
the  utmost  freedom  has  been,  and  is,  allowed  for  the  enjoy- 
ment of  legitimate  sport.  It  is  therefore  to  Canada  that  the 
European  sportsman  must  go  should  he  wish  to  enjoy  the  best 
fishing  and  big  game  hunting  that  can  be  found  in  America. 

The  Canadian  climate  is  healthful  and  enjoyable.  It  is 
a  veritable  physical  tonic,  and  for  the  sportsman  it  has  the 
added  advantage  that  there  are  no  fevers  or  malaria  such 
as  are  so  common  in  the  big  game  countries  of  Africa,  India 
and  South  America.  No  poisonous  snake  need  be  feared, 
but  it  must  be  confessed  that  the  sociability  of  the  black 
flies  will  more  than  atone  for  the  absence  of  reptiles. 


394  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

Salmon  Fishing- 

Perhaps  the  best  of  the  salmon  fishing  in  Canada  is  that 
which  is  to  be  obtained  from  the  rivers  which  lie  on  the 
Eastern  Coast,  and  so  fine  is  the  sport  that  in  certain 
rivers  in  New  Brunswick — the  Miramichi,  Restigouche, 
Metapedia,  Cascapedia,  and  the  Nepisiguit — the  fishing 
rights  are  worth  a  fortune.  There  are,  however,  numerous 
rivers  where  free  salmon  fishing  may  be  enjoyed  by  visiting 
sportsmen. 

In  the  province  of  Quebec  for  instance,  every  tributary  of 
the  St.  Lawrence,  both  on  the  North  and  South  Shores  below 
Quebec  City,  and  all  the  rivers  emptying  into  the  Bay  of 
Chaleurs,  unless  impeded  at  or  near  their  mouths  by  falls, 
are  salmon  rivers. 

The  salmon  generally  known  on  the  Pacific  coast  of  Canada 
are  (i)  the  Quinnat  or  King  Salmon,  (2)  the  Sock-Eye  or 
Blueback  and  (3)  the  Cohoe  or  Silver  Salmon. 

The  first  grows  to  a  weight  of  seventy  pounds  or  possibly 
to  a  considerably  larger  size.  From  the  scales  taken  from 
the  larger  fish,  they  appear  to  reach  the  age  of  eight  years. 
The  Sock-Eye  and  the  Cohoe  are  much  smaller  fish. 

The  Quinnat  and  the  Cohoe  afford  the  best  sport  to  the 
Angler.  They  are  to  be  taken  in  the  summer  by  trolling 
or  spinning  from  a  boat  at  the  mouth  of  the  Campbell  River, 
Vancouver  Island ;  the  Quinnat  especially  afford  splendid 
sport. 

It  is  generally  considered  that  these  game  fish  cannot  be 
taken  in  fresh  water,  but  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  this  is 
only  due  to  the  fact  that  they  are  not  so  systematically 
fished  for  in  the  rivers  of  Vancouver,  British  Columbia, 
generally,  as  are  the  Atlantic  salmon  in  home  waters. 

Spinning  tackle  for  salmon  should  certainly  be  taken  and 
tried,  if  a  visit  to  the  Northern  portion  of  Vancouver  Island 
is  made. 


PLATE    LVI. 


The  Quinnat  or  King  Salmon. 


The  Ouananiche. 


The  Brook  Trout. 


FISHING  IN  CANADA  395 

The  Ouananiche,  or  land-locked  salmon  of  Canada,  is  a 
game  fighter,  and  there  are  to  be  found  a  number  of  lakes 
within  easy  distance  of  St.  Andrew's,  New  Biunswick, 
where  this  splendid  fighting  fish  is  to  be  taken.  Among 
them  are  the  Chamcook,  Limeburner,  Bartlett,  Steins, 
Snowshoe,  Wekh,  Cram,  Turner,  McCullough  and  Creasy. 
Most  of  these  lakes  and  their  tributaries  have  excellent  trout 
fishing.  One  of  the  best  places  for  sport  with  the  Ouana- 
niche is  Lake  St.  John,  with  its  tributary  waters  and  the 
Grand  Discharge.  At  St.  Andrew's  the  angler  will  find  no 
lack  of  places  where  excellent  sport  may  be  enjoyed. 
Another  good  place  is  Skiff  Lake,  about  three  miles  from 
Canterbury,  New  Brunswick. 

Trout  Fishing 

Every  known  variety  of  trout  may  be  found  in  Canada, 
the  swiftly  flowing  streams  and  innumerable  lakes  form- 
ing ideal  breeding  places  for  this  most  popular  of  all  game 
fishes. 

The  principal  varieties  of  the  Canadian  Trout  are — the 
Grey  Lake  Trout,  the  Rainbow,  the  Cut-throat,  the  Brook 
and  the  Sea  Trout. 

The  grey  trout  of  the  Laurentian  lakes  are  fighters  and 
grow  to  enormous  size,  and  the  angler,  if  properly  directed, 
will  have  no  difficulty  in  making  catches,  the  memory  of 
which  will  stay  with  him  as  long  as  he  lives.  This  fish  is 
usually  caught  by  trolling  from  a  slowly  moving  canoe, 
the  lure  being  sunk  well  down  and  moved  in  a  slow  series  of 
short  spurts. 

It  is  a  hopeless  task  to  attempt  to  give  even  a  partial  list 
of  brooks,  streams  and  lakes  where  brook  and  lake  trout 
may  be  caught.  New  Brunswick,  Nova  Scotia,  New- 
foundland, Labrador,  Quebec,  Ontario,  Alberta,  and  British 
Columbia   have  each    innumerable    trout    streams,   lakes, 


396  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

and  rivers  where  the  angler  may  be  sure  of  finding  good  sport. 
From  almost  every  station  on  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway 
in  Maine  and  New  Brunswick  good  trout  streams  and  rivers 
are  within  walking  distance.  Quebec  City  is  a  good  starting 
point  for  trout  fishing,  for  within  a  few  miles  are  Lake  St. 
Charles,  Beauport,  Calvaire,  Cache  and  other  good  fishing 
waters.  The  Laurentides  National  Park  boundary  is  within 
twenty-five  miles  of  the  ancient  and  historic  city.  On  the 
Nomining  Branch  of  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway,  reached 
from  Montreal,  good  trout  fishing  may  be  had  in  a  charming 
district  of  lake  and  mountain.  On  the  Ottawa  and  Mani- 
waki  branch  there  are  many  good  fishing  waters  for  trout, 
as  well  as  at  Cummings,  eight  miles  from  Grenville  Station, 
on  the  Montreal  to  Ottawa  Line. 

In  Ontario,  best  of  all  districts,  is  the  wonderful  North 
shore  of  Lake  Superior,  alongside  which  the  Canadian 
Pacific  Railway  runs  across  trout  waters  that  are  world 
renowned. 

Here  are  a  few  of  the  rivers  in  Ontario — Onaping,  Spanish 
River,  Apishkaugama,  Michipicoten,  Steel,  Magpie,  White, 
Little  Pic,  Monk,  Black,  Maggot,  Gravel,  Cress,  Prairie, 
Upper  Steel,  Trout  Creek,  Wolfe,  Mackenzie,  Current  and 
Nipigon. 

There  are  many  lakes  and  streams  in  the  Canadian 
Rockies  easily  reached  by  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway 
near  Banff,  Field  and  Glacier,  etc.,  and  very  fair  fishing 
may  be  enjoyed  amid  some  of  the  grandest  scenery  in  the 
world. 

Old  Man  River,  on  the  Alberta  side  of  the  foothills  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  offers  some  of  the  finest  fly  fishing  in 
the  Mountains.  This  stream  is  reached  by  wagon  from 
Lundbreck  Station,  about  fifteen  miles  distant.  Both  north 
and  south  forks  are  good,  but  the  north  as  a  rule  yields 
the  better  fishing. 


PLATE    LVII. 


Trout  Fishing  in  the  Rockies. 


FISHING  IN  CANADA  397 

The  Highwood  River  is  a  beautifully  clear  stream 
similar  in  many  ways  to  the  Dee,  with  splendid  trout 
fishing. 

Thorp  Creek,  thirty  miles  south  of  Calgary,  is  another 
very  fine  trout  stream  coming  from  the  Rockies,  and  so 
also  is  Willow  Creek,  fifty  miles  south  of  Calgary. 

These  rivers  afford  ideal  camping  grounds  in  the  foothills 
of  the  Rockies,  and  camping  outfits,  good  conveyances 
etc.,  can  be  easily  obtained  at  Calgary,  Lundbreck,  etc., 
but,  as  is  the  case  from  here  to  the  St.  Lawrence  River, 
'*  Muscabane  "  is  very  much  wanted. 

From  almost  any  town  and  from  every  station  on  the 
Canadian  Pacific  Railway  in  the  Rockies  trout  fishing  may 
be  obtained,  as  also  on  the  Crows  Nest  Line  to  the  south. 
In  British  Columbia  the  Elk  River  with  its  tributaries  affords 
fine  sport,  and  is  best  accessible  from  Sparwood,  about  ten 
miles  east  of  Fernie. 

The  Kootenay  district  for  trout  is  hard  to  beat.  On 
Vancouver  Island,  easy  of  access,  is  the  Oyster  River,  a 
short  distance  north  of  Comox  and  also  the  Campbell  river. 
Near  Victoria  are  the  Shawnigan  Lake  and  Cowichan  river, 
which  afford  good  fishing.  Close  to  Vancouver  are  the 
Capilano  and  Seymour  Creeks,  and  the  Squamish  can  also 
be  reached  from  the  same  place  in  a  short  time. 

Fish  Lake,  near  Kamloops,  is  also  an  excellent'place,  and 
there  are  a  number  of  adjacent  lakes  equally  good. 

Besides  the  different  varieties  of  salmon  and  trout  in 
Canada  there  are  also  to  be  caught  mas  kino  nge  and  bass. 

The  Maskinonge 

The  maskinonge  is  by  far  the  largest  game  fish  in  the  fresh 
waters  of  the  Northern  Hemisphere,  and  is  well  called  the 
'*  water  tiger  "  of  the  inland  seas.  It  is  popularly  known 
in    Canada    as    the    "  longe."      These    fish    are   said    to 


398  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

exceed  one  hundred  pounds  in  weight,  and  are  frequently 
five  feet  in  length.  The  head  of  the  maskinonge  is  large 
and  fiat,  and  its  mouth  will  open  wide  enough  to  swallow 
prey  of  its  own  girth.  It  has  a  formidable  array  of  keen 
teeth,  sometimes  half  an  inch  in  length.  These  teeth  will 
dent  a  metal  spoon  and  play  havoc  with  an  artificial 
minnow. 

Maskinonge  are  invariably  savage  fighters,  and  will  never 
surrender  as  long  as  life  lasts.  They  are  full  of  tricks,  and 
will  resort  to  endless  experiments  to  relieve  themselves  of 
the  hook.  No  two  maskinonges  will  act  alike  when  hooked, 
and  in  this  diversity  of  tactics  lies  the  great  charm  of  the 
sport.  For  a  contest  that  demands  the  highest  degree 
of  skill  and  adroitness  this  game  fish  is  hard  to  beat,  and 
the  fisherman  in  a  canoe  who  meets  one  has  a  struggle  with 
one  of  the  finest  fighters  in  the  fish  world.  Judging  from 
my  own  experience,  it  is  as  stubborn  an  opponent  as  the 
tiger  fish  of  the  Zambesi. 

The  maskinonge  is  found  in  most  of  the  rivers  and  lakes  in 
the  western  portion  of  Quebec  and  in  some  of  the  large 
lakes  in  the  eastern  part  of  this  province,  also  in  Lake 
St.  Louis  and  Lake  of  Two  Mountains,  near  Montreal,  the 
Ottawa  River  at  St.  Anne  de  Bellevue  and  Lake  St.  Francis. 
Among  the  Thousand  Islands  of  the  St.  Lawrence  River 
many  mammoth  maskinonge  have  been  caught.  In 
Ontario,  Lake  Nipissing,  the  French  River  and  the  Kawartha 
Lakes,  reached  from  Bobcaygeon,  give  excellent  maskinonge 
fishing.     Of  all  of  these  the  French  River  is  the  best.* 

Black  Bass 
For  sheer  desperate  energy  the  fight  that  this  fish  will 
put  up  is  perhaps  unequalled  by  any  other  fish  of  its  weight. 
So  fiercely  will  it  contest  every  inch  of  the  advantage  gained 

*  The  maskinonge  is  in  appearance  like  a  pike,  and  is  frequently  alluded  to  as 

a  pickerel. 


FISHING  IN  CANADA  399 

over  it  by  the  skilful  angler  that  the  latter  never  feels  certain 
that  the  fight  will  end  in  his  favour. 

The  favourite  abode  of  the  black  bass  is  in  cold  and  rapid 
water  with  gravel  or  rocky  bottom.  Its  food  consists 
mainly  of  minnows,  frogs,  crawfish  and  insects.  This  fish 
may  be  caught  with  the  fly,  bait  or  spoon,  but  no  angler 
can  ever  tell  for  a  certainty  just  what  bait  will  at  any 
moment  prove  best  with  black  bass. 

This  fish  is  found  in  abundance  in  New  Brunswick  and 
also  in  Nova  Scotia,  Quebec  has  a  great  many  good  fishing 
places  for  bass,  among  which  are  the  lakes  and  streams  of 
the  Ottawa  river  and  its  tributaries,  up  the  Gatineau  river, 
and  in  the  lakes  near  the  terminus  of  the  Maniwaka  branch 
of  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway.  Brome  Lake,  reached 
from  Knowlton,  Quebec,  contains  large  black  bass  and 
plenty  of  them.  Ontario  has  hundreds  of  places  where 
good  bass  fishing  may  be  enjoyed. 

Sporting  trips  in  Canada  are  of  necessity  somewhat 
extended,  and  therefore  require  careful  consideration 
and  preparation.  The  outfits  necessary  for  such  trips 
are  varied  in  their  composition,  and  the  agencies  which 
supply  the  necessary  men,  stores,  canoes,  or  other  means 
of  locomotion,  even  when  advance  notice  of  such  a  trip  be 
given  to  them,  have  at  times  a  considerable  difiiculty  in 
executing  their  instructions. 

The  canoe,  which  is  peculiarly  the  water-craft  of  Canada, 
is  the  one  great  masterpiece  which  the  Indian  has  handed 
down  to  civilization.  There  is  no  other  form  of  boat  so 
graceful,  so  responsive  to  the  lightest  touch,  so  easy  of  pro- 
pulsion, or  so  universally  adaptable.  It  may  be  said  to 
be  essentially  a  product  of  its  environment.  The  shallow- 
ness of  its  draught  makes  it  the  ideal  craft  for  the  swift- 
flowing  Canadian  streams,  with  their  numerous  shallows  and 
rapids.     It  is  in  itself  so  light  that  it  can  easily  be  carried 


400  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

on  the  head  from  one  stream  to  another  ;  it  is  so  noiseless 
that  in  it  the  hunter  can  approach  his  quarry  without  the 
slightest  sound,  yet  withal  it  has  enormous  carrying  capacity. 

It  is  therefore  in  canoes,  and  in  the  highways  of  Canada 
— its  rivers  and  lakes — that  one  of  the  most  delightful 
forms  of  travelling  and  of  obtaining  sport  is  to  be  obtained. 
With  the  camera,  the  rod  and  the  gun,  the  traveller  will 
find,  if  properly  directed,  the  most  fascinating  and  delightful 
of  all  wanderings. 

A  canoe  trip  down  some  of  the  rivers  which  run  into  Lake 
Superior  on  the  North  and  East  shores  should  furnish  every 
delightful  experience,  and,  if  the  river  be  carefully  selected, 
an  abundance  of  sport,  especially  of  the  wet  fly  variety, 
will  be  obtained;  and  here  I  must  emphasize  the  necessity 
of  having  and  being  able  to  use  the  rods,  reels,  lines  and 
lures,  not  only  for  the  dry  and  wet  fly  method,  but  for 
spinning,  etc. 

A  very  enjoyable  fishing  trip  may  be  had  by  visiting 
the  reefs  on  the  Northern  shores  of  Lake  Superior,  and  the 
rivers  and  streams  which  run  into  the  Lake,  but  a  strong  and 
really  well-found  seaworthy  motor  boat,  or  small  steam 
boat  of  light  draught,  should  be  hired  in  Sault  Ste.  Marie 
for  this  purpose,  with  a  captain  well  experienced  in  the 
wilfulness  of  Lake  Superior.  A  proper  outfit  of  canoes, 
Chippewa  Indians,  a  cook,  and  everything  which  is  wanted, 
or  which  is  likely  to  be  wanted,  will  have  to  be  taken,  for 
when  once  the  boat  has  started,  civilization  and  all  its 
advantages  will  be  left  behind.  June  and  July  will  be  the 
ideal  months  for  such  a  trip,  and  the  finest  lake  and  river 
fishing  in  Canada  may  be  had  in  one  extending  along  the 
East  and  Northern  Shore  of  Lake  Superior  from  Batchawana 
Bay  to  the  Mouth  of  the  Nipigon.  Rough  weather — and 
this  mighty  inland  freshwater  sea  can  be  most  wondrous 
rough — will   be   encountered,    but    good   seamanship   will 


FISHING  IN  CANADA  401 

always  find  a  sheltered  bay,  the  lee  of  some  island,  or  some 
convenient  river  mouth  to  run  into  for  safety,  and  no 
day  on  the  whole  of  such  a  trip  will  be  found  to  be 
without  its  sporting  interests  and  its  own  charm  and 
character. 

The  water  of  the  lake  is  wonderfully  clear  and  cold,  and, 
except  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  camps,  etc.,  bordering 
its  shores,  is  unrivalled  in  its  purity.  Gently  paddling  from 
ten  to  forty  feet  above  the  vast  boulders  and  spurs  of  granite, 
forming  the  so-called  reefs  of  Lake  Superior,  in  a  Canadian 
canoe,  and  casting  with  a  dry  fly  to  each  likely  quarter, 
and  near  each  protruding  rock,  will  provide  a  charm  as 
regards  the  beautiful,  and  a  delight  as  regards  sport,  which 
will  remain  as  a  never  to  be  forgotten  page  in  the  memory. 
Huge  brook  trout,  running  from  two  to  eight  pounds  in 
weight,  haunt  the  clear  depths  of  these  submerged  wonder- 
lands, and  lie  in  their  misty  clefts  and  retreats  waiting  for 
the  flies  and  insects  which  are  blown  or  fly  from  the  neigh- 
bouring land.  Frequently  when  casting  a  dry  fly,  and  when 
there  has  been  no  rise  of  trout,  I  have  seen  two  beautiful 
shapes  flash  upward  at  the  fly,  and  in  their  eagerness  dash 
three  or  more  feet  out  of  the  water.  In  the  evening,  and 
sometimes  in  the  forenoon,  on  a  calm  day,  when  a  gentle 
breeze  is  bringing  out  from  the  land  its  crowd  of  insect  life, 
a  rise  will  occur  which  is  not  easily  forgotten. 

On  such  a  trip,  however,  as  I  am  describing,  reef  fishing 
is  only  one  item  on  the  bill  of  fare.  Trolling  for  the  great 
lake  trout,  running  up  to  40  lbs.  is  to  be  had.  Camping 
at  the  mouth  of  some  lovely  river  or  stream  and  canoeing 
up  its  ever  varying  and  beautiful  waters,  gives  the  additional 
charm  of  river  fishing,  though  in  the  latter  part  of  July 
and  August,  especially  south  of  Michipicoten,  the  tempera- 
ture of  the  rivers  will  have  risen  and  the  river  trout  have 
sought  the  cooler  waters  of  the  lake. 

27 


402  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

The  country  is  wild  and  lovely,  and  most  varieties  of  game 
are  to  be  met — bears  and  wolves  are  to  be  seen — but  in 
summer  are  quite  harmless.  Moose  and  caribou  trails 
are  common,  and  serve  to  remind  only  of  the  profusion  of 
life  lurking  unseen  in  the  cover  of  these  virgin  forests. 

In  cruising  down  Canadian  Rivers  portages  will  be 
frequent,  and  therefore  all  baggage  should  be  dispensed 
with  except  that  which  is  absolutely  necessary. 

It  must  be  remembered  that,  while  every  facility  and 
assistance  is  given  to  the  visitor  by  the  Canadian  Govern- 
ment, the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway  Company's  servants, 
etc.,  yet  the  country  is  so  vast  and  its  fishing  possibilities 
so  little  known,  that  the  success  of  each  trip  will  depend 
on  the  initiative  of  those  in  control  of  it.  It  is  most 
necessary  that  there  should  be  a  similarity  of  desires 
and  tastes  among  those  of  the  party,  in  so  far  as  each  day's 
procedure  is  concerned.  General  information  as  regards 
the  fishing  qualities  of  a  river,  or  even  of  a  district,  by  any  one 
save  an  experienced  fisherman,  should  in  all  cases  be  received 
with  great  caution,  and  in  every  canoe  expedition  one 
member  of  the  party  at  least  should  have  had  a  personal 
experience  of  the  rivers  and  lakes  which  it  is  suggested  to 
travel. 

Besides  the  unequalled  wonder  of  the  railway  journey 
between  Calgary  and  Vancouver,  excellent  fishing  centres 
will  be  found  in  Banff  and  Sicamous  Junction,  and  quite 
apart  from  the  sport  which  can  be  made  an  inseparable 
adjunct  of  Canadian  travel,  this  trip  in  an  observation  car 
on  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway  is  one  which  cannot  be 
equalled  for  beauty  and  interest.  In  its  own  manner  it 
teaches  a  lesson  as  impressive  and  profound  as  the  Temples 
of  Egypt.  The  tourist  will  be  surrounded  by,  or  be  within 
reach  of,  many  of  the  most  beautiful  portions  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  and  in  no  other  mountain  region  do  peak  and 


.^ 


i 


FISHING  IN  CANADA  403 

clift,  snowfield  and  glacier,  alpland  and  forest,  lake,  cataract 
and  stream,  form  such  a  perfect  combination  as  is  to  be 
found,  not  in  one,  but  in  hundreds  of  places  in  the  glorious 
ranges  of  the  Rockies  and  Selkirks. 

Banff  is  one  of  the  most  delightful  resorts  in  the  Rockies, 
and  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway  Hotel  is  one  of  the  most 
beautifully  situated  hotels  in  the  world.  It  is  the  last  word 
in  modern  hotels  and  it  is  very  comfortable  and  well 
conducted.  The  Dog  River  runs  through  its  grounds,  and 
most  interesting  river  and  lake  fishing  can  be  obtained  in 
the  neighbourhood.  Camping  outfits  and  canoes  are  pro- 
vided by  Brewster's  Agency  of  Banff. 

While  on  a  fishing  trip  to  Forty  Mile  Creek,  some  fifteen 
miles  from  the  Banff  Hotel,  I  came  across  one  of  the  Canadian 
Boy  Scouts  who  had  visited  England  in  1910 — a  son  of  the 
founder  of  Brewster's  Agency,  Banff.  Though  having  an 
intimate  knowledge  of  our  colonists  and  appreciating  the 
warmth  of  their  Imperial  feeling,  it  was  quite  a  revelation 
to  hear  this  boy  tell  of  his  visit  and  impressions  in  England. 
It  would  have  done  those  who  decry  the  Imperial  spirit, 
etc.,  good  to  have  heard  and  noted  the  sentiment  which 
this  trip  to  the  old  country  had  inspired  in  this  youngster. 

My  guide,  George  Harrison,  the  head  guide  of  Brewster's 
Agency,  who  accompanied  me,  was  a  very  keen  big  game 
huntsman,  but  being  initiated  into  the  mysteries  of  fly  fish- 
ing, his  former  indifference  to  the  gentle  art  vanished,  and 
he  soon  became  an  enthusiast  (see  Plates  LVII.  and  LIX.). 

Sicamous  Junction  Hotel  is  an  excellent  centre  from  which 
to  fish  the  ramifications  of  Sicamous  Lake,  which,  like  a 
huge  octopus,  spreads  abroad  its  gigantic  reaches,  inter- 
spersed with  bays  and  rivers.  A  motor  launch,  rowing 
boats,  canoes  and  experienced  boatmen  can  be  obtained. 
The  Sicamous  Lake,  on  which  the  Hotel  is  situated,  the 
Shuswap  Lake,  and  the  Eagle  River  will  provide  salmon,  sea 


404  FLY  FISHING  AND  SPINNING 

trout,  rainbow  trout,  schwab  fish,  brook  trout,  lake  trout, 
etc.  The  scenery  is  lovely.  While  I  was  there,  an  Indian 
speared  on  the  Eagle  River  a  lake  trout  which  weighed 
38  lbs.  It  was  forty-two  inches  in  length.  The  sea  trout 
fishing  in  September  is  very  good  indeed,  and  the  fish,  which 
run  up  to  6  lbs.  in  weight,  are  excellent  in  their  condition. 

Rainbow  trout  are  very  plentiful  in  these  lakes.  Salmon 
are  also  plentiful,  but  when  caught  they  are  generally  put 
back.  Their  flesh  is  not  to  be  compared  with  that  of  the 
sea  trout,  the  rainbow  or  grey  trout. 

When  trolling  from  a  canoe  on  these  lakes  I  caught  salmon 
up  to  15  lbs.  in  weight,  which  had  travelled  many  hundreds 
of  miles,  since  leaving  the  sea,  through  the  furious  rapids 
of  the  Fraser  river,  and  through  the  equally  wonderful  gorges 
of  Kicking  Horse  Pass.  Their  appearance  and  condition 
was  excellent.  They  were  evidently  making  for  the  Eagle 
and  other  rivers  which  run  into  the  Sicamous  Lake.  I 
found  "  Muscabane "  of  the  greatest  use  here,  for  the 
mosquitoes,  etc.,  are  very  troublesome.* 

Some  Canadian  Salmon  Records. 

To  give  a  better  idea  of  the  character  of  the  salmon  fishing 
in  Canada,  I  take  the  liberty  of  borrowing  some  records 
given  by  the  Hon.  A.  E.  Gathorne-Hardy  in  his  charming 
contribution  to  the  "  Fur,  Feather  and  Fin  Series."  On 
a  portion  of  the  Cascapedia  River,  fished  by  the  Governor- 
General  of  Canada,  it  appears  that  His  Excellency, 
the  Marquis  of  Lansdowne,  when  Governor  of  Canada, 
fishing  during  1884,  1885,  1886  and  1887,  an  average 
yearly  season  of  fifty  days,  killed  to  his  own  rod  in  that 
time  368  salmon,  the  total  weight  of  these  fish  being 
8,828  pounds,  the  fish  thus  averaging  twenty-four  pounds  in 

*  a  new  fly  remedy  recently  prepared  by  Messrs.  Allen  &  Hanburys,  of 
London. 


FISHING  IN  CANADA  405 

weight,  the  largest  fish  killed  in  each  of  the  four  consecutive 
years  being  43,  45,  39,  and  38J  pounds  respectively.  The 
total  number  of  fish  killed  by  the  whole  party  during  this 
time  was  1,245  fish,  weighing  29,188  pounds,  the  average 
weight  of  the  fish  thus  being  23  J  pounds. 

A  better  record  even  than  this  is  given  by  Mr.  Gathorne- 
Hardy  for  one  season  of  53  days,  in  1879,  over  the  same 
portion  of  the  river,  when  Mr.  Charles  Ellis,  Mr.  Iveson,  and 
Capt.  Percy  killed  no  less  than  640  fish,  the  average  weight 
being  24 J  pounds,  and  the  total  weight  15,648  pounds. 
The  best  day's  catch  fell  to  Mr.  Ellis,  who  caught  17  fish 
weighing  465  pounds.  The  weights  of  these  fish  were  as 
follows,  38,  36,  36,  32,  32,  32,  31,  30,  24,  24,  22,  22,  21,  21, 
20,  and  20  pounds,  that  is  averaging  about  27  J  pounds. 

British  salmon  flies  are  recommended  for  Canadian  waters. 

With  regard  to  the  regulations  affecting  the  close  seasons, 
the  licences,  the  permits,  etc.,  which  are  of  course  necessary 
in  Canada,  the  visitor  should  apply  to  the  Provincial 
Government  in  whose  province  he  proposes  to  fish,  shoot, 
etc.  It  is  inadvisable  to  embody  them  in  book  form,  as 
they  are  subject  to  somewhat  frequent  changes  by  the 
authorities,  but  the  latest  information  can  always  be 
obtained  at  the  Office  of  the  High  Commissioner  for  Canada, 
17,  Victoria  Street,  S.W. 


APPENDIX 

SOME   NOVELTIES   FOR  THE   FISHERMAN,  AND  A  FEW 
HINTS  AS  TO   FISHING   MATERIAL 

No  book,  purporting  to  be  of  an  instructional  character,  on 
any  sporting  subject,  can  be  considered  complete  without 
some  reference  is  included  in  its  pages  to  the  weapons 
which  are  so  necessary  to  the  successful  pursuit  of  that 
sport. 

I  have,  in  my  former  works  on  fishing,  dealt  extensively 
with  the  specialities  of  our  leading  fishing  tackle  firms 
and  do  not  think  it  necessary  to  go  over  the  same  ground 
again,  but  in  the  instructional  portion  of  my  text  I  have 
alluded  briefly  to  some  recent  inventions  which  I  thought 
would  be  useful  to  the  fisherman.  I  am  amplifying  this 
information,  and  making  my  book  more  complete,  by  adding 
this  appendix. 

A  New  Spinning  Reel 

The  ultimate  value  of  any  spinning  reel  will  be  determined 
by  the  simplicity  with  which  it  is  controlled,  the  perfection 
with  which  its  duties  are  performed,  and  in  the  ease, 
confidence  and  comfort  with  which  it  can  be  used. 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  following  description  that  not 
only  has  the  Spinning  Reel  now  described  all  these  good 
qualities,  but  that  in  addition,  it  has  original  advantages 
in  its  construction,  tending  to  its  general  usefulness  and 
comfort,  which  have  never  so  far  been  attempted  in  any 
other  spinning  reel.      It  is  a  reel  so  simple  and  yet  so  effective 

406 


APPENDIX  407 

that  I  invariably  make  use  of  it  when  teaching  my  clients 
how  to  cast  with  a  spinning  rod,  and  the  facility  with 
which  they  can  in  a  few  minutes  learn  to  use  this  reel 
with  no  danger  of  over-running  is  only  equalled  by 
the  pleasure  they  experience  when  actually  fishing 
with  it. 

When  casting  correctly  with  the  spinning-rod  the  danger  of 
the  reel  over-running  only  commences  as  the  velocity  of  the 
on-going  lure  begins  to  fall  behind  that  rotatory  speed  of  the 
drum  which  has  been  acquired  by  the  initial  velocity  of 
the  lure,  and  it  is  only  necessary,  therefore,  if  the  rod 
action  has  been  properly  made,  to  effect  a  braking  control 
over  the  drum  during  the  latter  half  of  any  cast.  One 
of  the  many  advantages  possessed  by  this  reel  is  that  at 
whatever  time  this  checking  action  is  required,  during  the 
flight  of  the  lure  through  the  air,  it  can  be  at  once  effected 
simply  by  increasing  the  pressure  of  the  fingers  on  the  lever 
handle.     Plate  LX. 

A  Consideration  of  this  Reel 

The  drum  spins  well  and  can  extend  over  seventy  yards 
of  line  when  casting.  It  is  so  controlled  that  it  can  be 
operated  by  the  simple  pressure  of  a  finger  of  either  hand, 
no  matter  which  hand  is  uppermost  on  the  rod,  or  to  which 
side  of  the  rod  the  handles  of  the  reel  are  pointing. 

In  other  words,  the  reel  cannot  be  placed  on  the  rod 
in  a  manner  which  prevents  its  being  operated  by  the 
fingers  of  either  hand,  a  unique  and  very  valuable  inno- 
vation. The  levers  are  so  easily  operated  and  the  rotation 
of  the  drum  is  so  easily  regulated,  that  practically  no  danger 
of  over-running  occurs,  even  when  the  reel  is  used  for  the 
first  time. 

The  free  rotation,  the  sUght  check  which  prevents  over- 
running, and  the  return  to  the  normal  fishing  condition  of  the 


408  APPENDIX 

reel  follow  one  another  in  clearly  defined  rotation,  and  are 
effected  by 

1st.  A  slight  pressure  of  one  finger. 

2nd.  An  increased  pressure  by  the  same  finger,  and 
.  finally  by 

3rd.  Releasing  the  pressure  of  the  finger. 


Diagram  26. 
The  Fred  G.  Shaw  Spinning  Reel. 

A — Butterfly  nut  which  keeps  the  two  parts  of  reel,  Diag.  26  and 

Diag.  27,  together. 
E.E. — The    alternative    handles    for    working    and    controlling   the 

mechanism  or  reel. 
F.F. — The  end  of  the  levers  of  handles  E.E.,  which  operate  the  sliding 

plate  H.H. 
G.G. — Studs  on  which  the  levers  work. 
H.H. — SUding  plate  carrying  the  pawls  L  &  M  and  their   respective 

springs. 
I.I. — Slots  in  sliding  plate. 
J.J. — Guides  fixed  on  to  K.K.  for  sliding  plate. 
K.K.K.K.— Back  plate  of  reel. 


APPENDIX  409 

L. — The  normal  pawl,  carried  on  sliding  plate  H.H.,  and  which  is 
disengaged  from  ratchet  wheel, — thus  permitting  a  free  rotation 
of  the  drum, — when  the  shding  plate  is  moved  forward  by  F.F. 

M. — A  Ught  pawl  carried  on  sliding  plate  H.H.,  which  comes  into 
engagement  with  ratchet  wheel  R.,  by  a  further  movement  of 
H.H.,  thus  preventing  the  over -running  of  the  linfe. 

N. — A  light  spring  operating  against  H.H,  in  its  first  movement. 

O. — A  stronger  spring  which  comes  into  operation  against  the  further 
movement  of  H.H. 

S. — An  adjusting  screw  pressing  on  the  springs  of  pawl  M,  to  regulate 
its  controUing  action  over  the  ratchet  wheel  R. 


■< 


R 

Diagram   27. 

The  Drum  of  this  Reel. 

C. — Showing  drum  of  reel  with  Une  on. 

R. — The  ratchet  wheel.  It  is  shown  in  Diagram  26  as  in  position. 
The  pawl  L.  comes  into  normal  contact  with  the  ratchet 
wheel  when  the  drum  is  on  the  spindle  P.,  and  the  handle  and 
levers  are  not  operated. 

The  reel  can  be  made  perfectly  silent  at  any  moment 
during  the  casting  of  the  lure,  winding  in  the  lure,  working 
the  lure,  or  playing  the  fish,  without  any  alteration  being 
necessary  in  the  manner  in  which  the  hand  or  hands  are 
holding  the  rod. 

The  three  duties  of  the  drum— free  rotation,  slight  check, 
and  full  check  of  its  normal  condition,  are  distinguished 
when  being  made,  not  only  by  a  difference  in  the  pressure 


410  APPENDIX 

of  the  finger  on  the  lever,  but  by  the  different  sound  made  by 
the  two  different  pawls  when  in  contact  with  the  rachet 
wheel. 

The  ability  to  make  the  reel  perfectly  silent  when  winding 
in  is  not  only  a  great  comfort  to  most  fishermen,  but  less 
likely  to  scare  the  fish  at  a  critical  moment,  while  the 
usual  wear  and  tear  of  the  reel  is  considerably  reduced. 

The  entirely  new  invention  of  having  two  levers,  each 
of  which  operates  similarly  in  the  mechanism  of  this  reel, 
makes  it  both  a  left-handed  and  right-handed  one  at  the 
pleasure  of  the  fisherman. 

The  reel  can  be  taken  to  pieces  as  shown  in  Diags.  26  and 
27,  and  placed  together  in  less  than  one  minute.  It  is  made 
of  the  very  best  material  and  will  be  found  equally  valuable 
as  a  reel  for  heavy  or  for  hght  work. 

When  trout  fishing  with  the  trout  model  of  the  reel,  it  will 
be  seen  that  the  levers  will  always  be  within  reach  of  the  hand 
holding  the  trout  rod,  whether  the  latter  be  held  above  or 
below  the  reel,  without  the  fisherman  having  to  shift  his 
hold  on  the  rod  (see  Plate  LX.). 

The  checking  influence  on  the  rotatory  action  of  the  drum 
cannot  be  exceeded,  neither  can  the  latter  be  brought  up 
with  an  abrupt  and  disconcerting  jerk,  and  this  regulated 
control  can  be  placed  on  or  off  the  drum  as  it  spins  round,  as 
often  as  is  required  during  the  progress  of  the  lure  through 
the  air. 

No  other  spinning  reel  has  the  same  number  of  advantages, 
or  can  compare  with  it  for  the  very  great  ease  and  comfort 
with  which  it  can  be  used. 

When  the  reel  is  in  its  normal  fishing  condition  the 
ratchet  wheel,  R  (Diagram  26)  engages  the  pawl.  As 
the  cast  is  made  a  slight  pressure  of  the  finger  on  either 
lever  handle,  E  E,  forces  this  pawl  out  of  engagement, 
and  permits  the  free  rotation  of  the  drum.     When  required, 


PLATE    LX. 


FIG.     A. — PLAN  SHOWING  INTERIOR  MECHANISM  OF  THE  FRED  G.  SHAW  SPINNING  REEL.      THE   TWO 
PAWLS,  SLIDING  PLATE,  SPRINGS,  THE  LEVERS  AND  THEIR  HANDLES  AND  THE   BUTTERFLY  NUT. 


Fig.  2 


1.  SHOWING  HOW  THE   MECHANISM  OF  THIS  SPINNING  REEL   IS  CONTROLLED   BY  THE    LOWER  HAND. 

2.  SHOWING  HOW  IT  IS  CONTROLLED   BY  THE  UPPER  HAND. 

3.  THE  SPINNING  REEL  AND   THE  TROUT  ROD.       THE  LITTIE  FINGER   CONTROLLING  THE  LEVER  HANDLE, 

4.  WINDING  IN  SILENTLY.       THE  LITTLE  FINGER  OF  THE  HAND  HOLDING  THE  ROD,   PRESSING  THE  LEVER    HANDLE. 


APPENDIX  411 

an  increased  pressure  on  the  same  lever  handle  forces 
another  and  more  lightly  controlled  pawl  (Fig  M,  Diagram 
26)  into  engagement  with  the  ratchet  wheel,  and  thus 
prevents  any  chance  of  over-running,  while  finally  the 
release  of  this  pressure,  as  the  lure  enters  the  water,  again 
brings  the  reel  to  its  normal  fishing  condition. 

This  reel  is  standardized  in  sizes  4J  and  SJ  inches. 

The  "  Ephemerid^  "  Fly  Net  and  Priest 

The  flying  water  insects  on  which  the  trout  will  feed 
will  vary  from  hour  to  hour,  not  only  as  regards  their 
different  families,  but  also  in  the  colour  and  appearance  of 


a  ift 

6 


W 


ri  I 

5 

Diagram  28. 
The   "EpHEMERiDiE"   Fly   Net   and   Priest. 

I  and  3. — Frame  of  net. 

2. — Net  on  frame  withdrawn  from  handle. 
4. — Net  ready  for  use,  and  fixed  on  handle. 
5. — Handle  extended. 
6. — Priest  with  net  inside. 
When  it  is  desired  to  use  the  net.  Fig.  2  is  withdrawn  from  handle, 
opened,    and    fixed   (bayonet   joint)    on    the   telescopic    handle    (4). 
The  handle  is  then  extended  and  the  net  is  ready  for  use. 


412  APPENDIX 

the  members  of  each  family,  and  it  is  of  the  utmost  im- 
portance, therefore,  that  the  fisherman  should  be  provided 
with  some  light  and  portable  method  of  catching  the  elusive 
flying  or  floating  insects  on  which  the  trout  may  be  feeding. 

The  most  useful  adjunct  to  successful  fly-fishing  will  be 
found  to  be  a  fly  net.  The  author  has  invented  and  patented 
a  very  light,  convenient,  telescopic  fly  net,  the  handle  of 
which  forms  another  very  useful  little  article  known  as  a 
*'  priest,"  with  which  latter  the  coup  de  grace  is  administered 
in  order  to  put  the  trout  beyond  pain.  This  net  and 
priest  is  shown  in  Diagram  28.*  It  is  about  twelve 
inches  in  length,  when  closed,  and  when  the  net,  which  is 
held  in  the  telescopic  tube,  is  withdrawn  and  fitted  on  the 
end  of  the  telescopic  handle  and  this  is  extended,  it  is  three 
feet  six  inches  in  length,  while  the  net  and  priest  together 
only  weigh  seven  ounces. 

This  net  and  priest  can  be  easily  carried  in  the  creel  or 
fishing  bag,  and  when  so  desired  it  can  be  extended,  and  the 
net  fixed  in  position  in  a  few  seconds.  This  enables  the 
fisherman  to  secure  the  otherwise  elusive  insects  on  which 
the  trout  may  be  feeding,  and  thereupon  to  determine  which 
of  the  many  flies  he  carries  in  his  fly  box  will  be  the  one  to 
use. 

Gut 

Of  all  the  articles  which  we  use  when  fishing,  the  gut, 
of  which  our  casts  are  made,  should  be  of  the  best.  There  is 
no  trouble  too  great,  or  time  so  well  spent,  in  selecting  our 
fishing  tackle,  as  that  which  we  devote  to  obtaining  good 
gut  for  our  casts,  and  when  once  a  really  good  seasonal  make 
is  discovered  it  is  well  to  keep  to  that  particular  kind. 

Always  use  the  finest  tackle  consistent  with  safety,  and  in 
choosing  your  casts  and  traces  I  can  give  no  better  advice 
*  See  also  p.  69,  125. 


APPENDIX  413 

than  to  go  to  the  very  best  dealers.  I  have  obtained 
excellent  casts  from  all  the  following  firms :  Westley  Richards, 
Harrods,  Little  &  Co.,  Eaton  and  Deller,  Ogden  Smith, 
Cummins,  Malloch,  etc  ;  alas  !  I  have  also  been  at  times 
disappointed.  In  spite  of  every  care,  even  the  most  reliable 
retail  dealer  may  at  times  be  unable  to  guarantee  every 
cast  he  sells,  and  I  should  never  condemn  any  good  dealer 
for  supplying  me  with  a  few  faulty  gut  casts. 

A  make  of  cast  which  can  be  obtained  from  most  retailers 
is  the  "  Hercules "  cast.  So  far  as  my  experience  has 
gone,  I  have  found  these  casts  good  both  in  quaUty  and 
diu"ability.  They  are  to  be  obtained  from  Little  &  Co.,  of 
the  Haymarket.  The  cast  for  dry  fly  fishing  should  be 
three  yards  in  length,  tapering  to  the  finest  limit  of  safety. 
This  Umit  should  be  decided  by  the  state  of  the  weather,  the 
water,  the  time  of  the  year,  and  the  size  of  the  trout  in- 
habiting the  water  in  which  you  are  fishing. 

Remember  that  the  strength  of  the  cast  will  be  determined 
by  its  weakest  length. 

Experience  will  decide  the  degree  of  necessary  strength 
for  the  fine  points,  and  when  new  streams  are  tried  the 
advice  of  a  local  fisherman  or  your  tackle  maker  may  well  be 
sought. 

Always  have  at  least  half  a  dozen  casts  of  fine  and  medium 
gut  in  your  box  when  away  from  a  tackle  shop,  also  a 
plentiful  supply  of  fine  gut  points,  fifteen  to  eighteen  inches 
in  length.  During  the  day,  when  fishing,  keep  one  cast  in 
your  damping-box,  and  always  where  possible  soak  a  new 
cast  for  at  least  thirty  minutes  in  lukewarm  water  before 
using  it.  Insufficient  soaking  or  too  much  soaking  may 
render  the  best  gut  unreliable.  Keep  your  casts  in  a  flat 
metal  cast  box,  such  as  is  sold  by  all  tackle  makers. 

Sunlight,  and  light  generally,  is  ruinous  in  its  effect  on 
gut.     Your  spare  casts  should  never  be  left  exposed  to  the 


414  APPENDIX 

light,  and  for  this  reason  should  never  be  wrapped  round 
outside  the  fisherman's  cap,  and  the  rod  when  not  in  use 
should  be  placed  in  the  shade. 

Before  using  your  cast,  every  length  should  be  carefully 
examined  and  tested.  The  gut  should  shp  easily  and 
smoothly  between  the  fingers  ;  it  should  exhibit  no  bright 
isolated  patches,  being  of  a  uniform  colour  and  tint  through- 
out its  length.  Always  remove  your  casts  at  night  from 
the  damping-box. 

I  prefer  a  very  light  blue  or  green  tint  for  the  colour  ot 
my  cast. 

The  Dry  Fly  Box 

The  modern  tendency  as  regards  the  size  and  shape  of 
the  boxes  holding  those  flies  which  it  is  desirable  or  necessary 
to  carry  during  any  day's  fishing,  is  to  have  a  box  as  hght 
and  serviceable  as  possible,  and  at  the  same  time  small 
enough  to  be  conveniently  carried  in  any  of  the  coat 
pockets. 

In  the  protected  design  shown  on  Plate  LXI.  will  be 
seen  a  fly  box  which  possesses  all  these  advantages,  and 
which  will  also  act  as  an  entomological  guide  to  the  hsher- 
man.  The  divisions  are  numbered,  and  the  flies  they 
contain  are  clearly  seen  without  lifting  the  transparent  lid 
of  each  compartment.  The  lid  of  the  box  contains  two 
receptacles  for  May  fly,  or  any  other  desired  flies,  and 
underneath  are  a  series  of  lines  marked  with  numbers, 
corresponding  to  the  respective  fly  compartments  below 
them.  The  names  of  the  flies,  therefore,  which  are  kept 
in  any  one  division  should  be  written  in  ink  on  the 
line  which  is  marked  with  a  corresponding  number,  and 
this  box  becomes  at  once  an  entomological  guide.  For 
instance,  if  a  fisherman  is  told  that  the  Red  Quill  is  being 
taken  by  the  trout,  if  he  does  not  know  this  fly,  he  looks  at 


PLATE    LXI. 


G  AND  Sporting  Spectacle 

ALWAYS   SAFE,   ALWAYS   READY,   AND   ALWAYS   CONVENIENT. 


Fig. 


Fig.  2. 

The  Sh.wv 
Fly  Retriever. 

FIG.  I. — THE  FLY  RETRIEVER  IN 
CASE. 

FIG.  2. THE  FLY  RETRIEVER  OUT 

OF  CASE. 


The  Shaw  "  Inimitable"  Fly  Box. 

LIGHT,    CAPACIOUS  AND  SERVICEABLE,   BOTH  AS   A  FLY  BOX  AND   AN  ENTOMOLOGICAL 

GUIDE. 


APPENDIX  416 

this  index — which  should  be  written  up  when  the  box 
is  filled — finds  the  name  of  the  fly  and  at  once  ascertains 
the  number  of  the  compartment  in  which  it  is  contained, 
and  he  will  thus  acquire  a  knowledge  of  its  exact  colour 
and  appearance. 

If,  on  the  other  hand,  he  sees  a  fly  on  the  water  and 
wishes  to  know  its  name,  he  catches  one  (see  Fly  Net,  page 
411),  and  searches  for  a  similar  fly  in  one  of  the  compart- 
ments. Directly  he  has  found  one  that  resembles  it,  he 
discovers  its  name  by  referring  to  the  number  on  the  hd  of 
the  box  corresponding  to  the  compartment  in  which  it  is 
kept. 

The  names  of  the  flies  written  on  the  Hd  in  ink  can  be 
easily  rubbed  out,  and  other  names  substituted,  and  thus  this 
fly  box  can  be  made  to  carry  from  seventeen  to  twenty 
varieties  of  flies,  and  the  varieties  can  be  altered  from  day  to 
day  if  desired. 

On  the  hd  of  the  box  will  also  be  found  an  exact  table 
of  the  old  and  modern  numbering  of  the  flies,  which  will 
be  found  most  useful  when  it  is  necessary  to  order  a  certain 
sized  fly  by  letter  or  telegram  from  the  fly-maker. 

The  Fishing  Spectacles 

As  the  years  roll  on  and  Nature  begins  to  exact  her  toll 
on  our  faculties,  the  difficulty  of  threading  the  fine  points 
of  our  cast  through  the  minute  eye  of  our  trout  fly  will 
perhaps  be  more  and  more  noticeable,  and  we  shall  find 
that  in  order  to  do  so  we  have  to  hold  our  fly  and  our  hne  a 
little  further  and  further  from  the  eye. 

Our  oculist  will  tell  us  that  we  must  wear  glasses,  etc.  ; 
and  when  we  get  to  our  stream  we  shall  then  find  that  the 
ordinary  form  of  spectacles  or  pince-nez,  while  they  restore 
our  sight,  become  in  other  respects  an  intolerable 
nuisance. 


416  APPENDIX 

If  they  are  spectacles  they  have  to  be  taken  from 
the  pocket  and  adjusted  to  the  nose,  and  two  hands  are 
required  for  this.  This  is  somewhat  awkward  when  you 
are  wading,  for  you  do  not  wish  to  put  the  butt  end  of 
the  rod  and  the  reel  into  the  water. 

If  they  are  pince-nez,  and  can  be  fixed  on  the  nose  with 
one  hand,  then  they  must  be  attached  to  the  person  by  a 
silk  or  other  cord,  and  this  means  even  greater  annoyance, 
for  the  cord  has  to  be  freed  from  your  coat  and  a  multitude 
of  obstacles — the  strap  of  your  creel  or  fishing  bag,  your 
trout  net,  etc.,  etc. 

Not  only  does  this  occasion  a  loss  of  time,  but  annoy- 
ance and  bother  at  a  critical  moment. 

Pince-nez  are  perhaps  the  handiest  form  of  glasses  to 
use,  but  even  these  invariably  get  in  the  way,  the  hand 
continually  catching  in  the  silk  cord,  and  the  glasses 
being  jerked  off  the  nose.  Spectacles  are  too  much  trouble, 
and  take  too  long  to  place  in  position  when  the  crisis  of  a 
"  rise  "  is  on,  and  the  fly  has  to  be  changed,  etc.  After 
a  variety  of  experiments  I  have  invented  and  patented 
spectacle-frame  attachments  which  can  be  easily  fixed  to 
the  cap,  and  by  means  of  which,  the  spectacles,  when  not  in 
use,  are  kept  on  the  peak  of  the  fishing,  cycUng,  or  shooting 
cap,  the  fez,  or  the  smoking  cap,  etc. 

A  single  motion  of  one  hand  places  the  spectacles  on  the 
nose,  and  replaces  them  securely  out  of  danger  on  a  hook 
placed  on  the  front  of  the  cap,  which  hook  prevents  the 
glasses  from  coming  down. 

In  both  positions  they  are  absolutely  secure,  and  the 
cap  can  be  Ufted  from  the  head  with  the  usual  ease  whether 
the  spectacles  are  on  or  off  the  nose. 

The  advantages  of  these  glasses  are  many,  and  will  be 
readily  appreciated  not  only  by  sportsmen  but  by  all 
short-sighted  persons.     The  framework  of  the  glasses  can. 


APPENDIX  417 

of  course,  be  filled  with  any  kind  of  lenses,  and  attached 
to  any  cap.  I  have  now  used  these  glasses  for  six  years 
and  can  safely  say  that  I  have  found  this  arrangement  of 
the  greatest  possible  comfort,  not  only  when  fishing, 
bicycUng,  etc.,  but  when  indoors.  Plate  LXI.  shows  these 
glasses  when  in  use,  and  also  when  placed  in  perfect  safety 
on  the  peak  of  the  fishing-cap. 

Fly  Retriever 

However  carefully  a  fisherman  may  manipulate  his  rod 
and  line,  he  may,  after  striking  and  missing  a  fish,  find  his 
line  entangled  in  branches  above  his  head.  He  may  also, 
by  neglecting  to  look  behind  him,  when  making  a  cast  in 
some  new  direction,  get  into  similar  difficulties,  in  which 
case  it  is  well  to  be  provided  with  some  means  of  retrieving 
the  fly.  One  of  my  clients  has  invented  a  very  excellent 
fly  retriever,  and  has  very  kindly  given  me  permission  to 
take  out  a  protection  for  it.  It  is  the  best  implement  of 
the  kind  I  have  yet  seen.  It  is  placed  on  the  top  end  of  a 
rod  and  thus  lifted  over  the  twig  or  leaves  which  hold  the 
hook.  The  rod  is  then  withdrawn,  leaving  the  blade  fast 
to  the  twig,  which  is  then  severed  by  the  simple  action  of: 
puUing  on  the  cord  which  is  attached  to  the  fly  retriever. 
The  blade  of  the  retriever  is  then  placed  inside  its  leather 
case,  the  cord  is  wound  round  both,  and  the  fly  retriever- 
is  returned  to  the  pocket,  or  fishing  bag,  etc.  (see  Fig.  I. 
Plate  LXI.). 

Salmon  and  Trout  Flies  ^w.^*^' 

I  have  already  dealt  in  their  respective  places  with  both 
Salmon  and  Trout  Flies,  and  my  remarks  are  worthy  of 
consideration  by  the  fisherman  who  is  about  to  purchase 
flies.     The  smallest  possible  selection  of  salmon  flies  should 


418  APPENDIX 

be  made  in  the  first  place,  and  in  order  to  make  this 
selection  judiciously,  those  who  have  fished,  or  who  are 
fishing,  on  the  particular  stretch  of  water  to  which  the 
fisherman  is  bound,  should  be  written  to,  and  not  only 
the  names  of  the  flies  which  are  used,  but  the  sizes 
which  may  be  recommended,  should  be  purchased  for  this 
particular  fishing  visit. 

The  reader  should  remember  that  each  fishing  centre  has 
at  least  one  local  tackle  dealer,  and  that  such  tackle  maker 
is  the  best  authority  to  whom  to  apply  for  information  as 
regards  the  best  Salmon  or  Trout  flies  to  use.  Therefore,  it 
is  well,  when  fishing  a  district  new  to  the  fisherman,  that  he 
should  take  advantage  of  such  local  knowledge  and  give 
the  flies  most  commonly  recommended  in  each  district 
a  trial. 

The  leading  fishing  tackle  firms,  or  agents,  whose  estab- 
hshments  are  near  those  rivers  which  are  to  be  visited — 
such  as  Malloch  for  Scotland,  Cummins  for  the  North  of 
England,  Wyers  Freres  for  the  North  of  France,  etc., 
can  be  relied  on,  not  only  for  selling  the  best  class  of  flies, 
but  for  giving  the  soundest  advice  as  to  the  flies  most 
commonly  used,  or  which  are  most  likely  to  kill. 

The  Fly  Fisherman's  Knife 

No  ordinary  article  becomes  more  endeared  to  the  average 
man  than  a  good  knife.  To  the  fisherman  a  knife  is  indis- 
pensable, and  in  the  knife  shown  in  the  diagram  he  is  able  to 
obtain  one  which  contains  all  the  tools  he  is  likely  to  require  at 
home  or  at  the  river-side.  It  is  light,  thin,  and  can  be 
carried  comfortably  in  any  pocket ;  furthermore,  it  is  made 
throughout  of  the  best  material  and  silver  plated.  I  have 
already  shown  in  Chapters  II.  and  III.  the  usefulness  of 
this  knife. 

The  tool,  which  acts  as  a  file,  lancet  and  disgorger,  makes 


APPENDIX  419 

an  excellent  manicure  tool,  and  the  file  is  so  admirably 
tempered  that  it  will  cut  through  most  metals  with 
ease.  I  have  experienced  a  considerable  difficulty  in  easily 
picking  out  any  particular  fly  from  among  its  fellows  in  my 
fly-box,  and  to  obviate  this  difficulty  I  have  had  the  various 
tools  in  the  knife  magnetized,  so  that,  whichever  implement 
of  this^knife  is  being  used  at  the  moment,  it  can  be  applied 


DiSCORGER 


Diagram   29. 
Shaw's  Fly  Fisherman's  Knife. 

The  fly  fisherman's  knife  contains  all  the  tools  required  by  the  fisherman. 

Disgorger,  scissors,  lancet,  file,  screwdriver,  pricker,  blade,  fly  gauge, 

measure.     Weight,  2  ounces.     Length,  4  inches.     Thickness,  ^  inch. 


to  the  particular  fly  required,  and  this  fly  will  be  easily  and 
securely  raised,  by  itself,  without  the  other  flies  being 
disturbed  or  lost. 


420  APPENDIX 

A  difficulty  which  repeatedly  besets  the  less  experienced 
fly  fisherman  is  the  inability  to  place  a  distinctive  title  or 
number  to  the  hook  of  the  fly  he  is  using,  or  which  he  wishes 
to  use,  and  he  is  at  some  difficulty  in  describing  the  exact 
size  of  the  flies  he  requires  when  wiring  or  writing  to  his 
tackle  makers. 

In  order  to  overcome  this  perfectly  natural  difficulty,  I 
have  had  engraved  on  my  knife  the  exact  size  of  the  hooks 
corresponding  to  the  old  and  new  methods  of  numbering 
them.  If,  then,  the  fisherman  desires  to  order  by  wire  a 
iiy,  either  larger,  smaller,  or  equal  in  size  to  that  which  he 
thinks  is  the  most  favourable  one  for  killing  his  fish,  he  has, 
when  possessing  this  knife,  the  exact  gauge  always  available. 
This  advantage  I  have  also  protected  in  my  design  of  a  fly- 
box,  which  has  already  been  described. 

I  have  no  hesitation  in  recommending  this  knife  to  my 
readers,  as  it  is  claimed  by  all  who  have  purchased  it  to  be  the 
best  and  most  desirable  knife  they  have  used. 

Every  one  of  these  knives,  which  has  so  far  been  made, 
has  been  numbered  consecutively,  and  the  appreciation  in 
which  they  are  held  will  be  gauged  by  the  fact  that  the 
number  now  engraved  on  them  has  nearly  reached  6,000. 
For  further  particulars  as  to  this  and  the  other  articles 
mentioned  in  this  appendix,  see  advertisements  at  the  end 
of  the  book. 


Matters    connected    with    the    hiring    of    Fishing 
Waters,    the    improvements    of    Trout    Streams, 

THE      LAYING      DOWN      OF      FISHERIES,       AND      TrOUT- 
BREEDING   ESTABLISHMENTS, 

Not  only  as  a  fisherman,  but  in  my  profession  as  Civil 
Engineer,  I  have  had  numerous  opportunities  of  improving 
the  value  and  capabilities  of  many  fishing  waters.     For 


APPENDIX  421 

this  purpose  I  have  designed  and  constructed  dams  in  the 
beds  of  fishing  streams  in  Australia,  South  Africa,  and 
Europe,  and  it  is  an  important  thing  for  all  riparian  owners 
to  remember  that  however  insignificant  a  stream  may  be, 
so  long  as  it  has  a  fairly  regular  current,  it  can  be  improved 
and  in  many  cases  made  into  a  most  fascinating  trout 
proposition.  Rivulets  which  are  looked  upon  merely  as 
ditches  can,  with  a  very  small  expenditure  of  money  and 
time,  be  so  improved  as  to  be  capable  of  carrying  a  very 
considerable  head  of  sporting  fish,  and  it  is  therefore  worth 
while  for  those  who  possess  water  of  any  description  in  the 
land  they  own  or  occupy,  to  consider  whether  the  improve- 
ment of  such  streams  might  not  be  of  commercial  as  well 
as  of  sporting  value  to  them. 

To  show  the  importance  of  the  above  remarks  I  insert  a 
letter  which  I  received  in  1909  from  some  friends  with 
whom  I  had  stayed  in  Hungary  the  year  before.  Although 
one  of  the  streams  passing  the  castle  appeared  to  contain 
the  possibility  of  being  made  into  a  good  fishing  proposition, 
it  was  too  rugged,  too  shallow,  and  too  much  swept  during 
the  springtime  by  the  melting  of  the  snows,  to  hold  more 
than  a  moderate  amount  of  fish.  The  letter  speaks  for 
itself  as  to  the  improvement  which  I  suggested  and 
designed  : — 

"  The  dams  which  you  suggested  and  designed  were 
built  last  autumn,  and  they  held  well  against  the  spring 
torrents,  only  one  being  washed  away,  and  I  think  this 
was  done  by  the  loosening  of  a  huge  boulder  on  one 
side  of  the  stream. 

The  stream  now  holds  a  very  great  number  of  fish, 
and  of  a  much  larger  size  than  those  we  had  when  you 
stayed  here.  My  brother  caught  forty-two  trout  the 
other  day  in  some  of  the  pools  nearest  the  house  ; 
the  largest  fish  was  if  pounds." 


422  APPENDIX 

This  extract  shows  very  clearly  how  a  stream  can  be 
improved,  as  the  largest  trout  I  was  able  to  secure  on 
this  water  when  fishing  there  was  just  over  half  a  pound, 
which  was  looked  upon  by  the  keeper  as  being  an  unusually 
large  one. 

My  readers  may  no  doubt  be  desirous  of  obtaining  infor- 
mation with  regard  to  the  best,  quietest,  most  sporting, 
cheapest,  healthiest,  or  most  convenient,  etc.,  fishing  inns 
and  fishing  neighbourhoods. 

During  the  last  forty  years  or  so  of  my  fishing  experi- 
ence I  have  compiled  notes  of  the  information  derived  from 
the  personal  memoranda  of  myself  and  my  many  friends,  and 
as  I  have  endeavoured  to  keep  these  notes  up-to-date  by 
asking  my  clients,  when  they  have  taken  advantage  of  my 
recommendations,  to  send  me  the  latest  report  as  to  the 
price,  food,  convenience,  and  sport  of  the  places  they  have 
visited,  I  have  much  pleasure  in  offering  to  assist  those  who 
may  be  in  want  of  such  information. 

The  scope  of  this  book  will  not  permit  me  to  attempt  to 
give  individual  mention  of  such  places,  but  I  shall  be  very 
happy  to  assist  any  of  my  readers  who  may  care  to  write 
to  me  by  giving  them  the  up-to-date  results  of  such  notes. 

I  make  this  offer  because  among  those  places  which  I 
have  mentioned  in  my  former  books  are  one  or  two  which 
have  lost  some  of  the  sporting  attractions  which  they  then 
had.  In  the  advertisement  sheets  of  my  book  will  be 
found  particulars  of  one  or  two  fishing  quarters  which  I  can 
specially  recommend,  and  I  also  have  much  pleasure  in 
drawing  attention  to  the  "  Anglers'  Guide,"  published  by 
the  Field  newspaper,  the  Field  itself,  the  Fishing  Gazette  and 
Scottish  Field,  etc.,  all  of  which  will  be  found  very  useful. 

There  are  also  Fishing  and  Shooting  Estate  Agencies, 
such  as  the  Edinburgh  Shooting,  Fishing  and  Estate  Agency, 
under  the  direction  of    Sir  James  Duke,  Bart.,  Mr.  W.  J. 


APPENDIX  423 

Cummins'  Agency  of  Bishop  Auckland,  Messrs.  Wyers 
Freres  of  Paris,  etc.,  etc. 

My  articles  on  Canada  and  New  Zealand  will  no  doubt 
prove  of  value  to  those  who  are  fortunate  enough  to  be 
able  to  devote  three  or  four  months  during  the  year  to  sport 
and  travel. 

The  foregoing  fishing  novelties  will  be  found  more  fully 
illustrated  and  described  in  the  pages  which  follow  the 
advertisers'  index  on  page  viii.,  together  with  other  matters 
of  importance  to  the  fisherman.  These  pages  contain  the 
advertisements  of  those  firms  with  whom  I  have  had  business 
deaUngs,  and  to  whom  I  can  with  pleasure  and  confidence 
recommend  the  reader. 

With  these  final  remarks  I  bid  my  reader  farewell, 
trusting  that  my  experiences  will  be  of  practical  use  to 
him,  and  that  I  may  have  gained  a  kindly  sympathetic 
thought  somewhere  in  these  pages. 


INDEX 


Accuracy  in  casting,  2,  4,  6,  7,  134 

Captain  Marryatt  on,  7 
Action  of  a  trout  rod,  Chapter  XII., 

217-220 
Add  River,  275-278 
Alder,  67-68,  72,  74,  80 
Alevin  salmon,  229 

trout,  100 
Ambidexterity,  117 

in  casting,  117,  203,  204. 
Angler's  Guide,  423 
Aniseed,  87 
Arcque  River,  83 
Attention,  140,  163,  170,  202,  203,  206, 

208,  213 

misplaced,  206 
Awe  River,  280,  281. 

Menzies,  W.  J.  M.,  on  the,  280 

Sheringham,  H.  T.,  on  the,  281. 
Axe  River,  80 
Axioms,  salmon,  308-313. 

trout,  134-138. 

Backward  Extension  of  line,  166-158, 

320 
Baden  Powell,  W.,  214 
Bedford,  The  Dubhess  of,  351 
Black  Forest,  47,  68 
Black  Gnat,  72 
Blue  Dun,  61,  65 

Quill,  13,  16,  31,  37 
Board  of  Conservators,  107 
Brain,  the  use  of  in  casting,  175 
Bristol  Channel,   264 
Broken  hook,  43 

rod,  128 
Bryant,  G.  R.,  102 
Bulging,  130 

Olive  Quill  for,  72,  130 
Hare's-ear,  72,  130 
Butterfly  Net,  13,  61,  69,  125,  411 

Caddis  fly,  65,  66 

Calderwood,  W.  L.,     257,  280,  283 

Canada 

big   game  of,  392-393. 

Canadian  Pacific  Railway,  391, 
397,  402,  403 


Canada  (continued) 

canoes  of,  392-393,  399 
fish  of,  Plate  LVI.,  394-9 
fishing  in.  Chapter  XXI. 
fishing  resorts,  393-405 
Rockies,  the.  Plates  LVII.  and 

Lvni. 

travelling     in     the      Canadian 
Pacific  Railway,  391,  397,  402 
Cap,  11,  24,  126 

Cast,  learning   how  to.  Chapters  IX., 
X.,  XL,  XVII. 

backward,  147,  152,  165 

curved  casts,  327 

forward,    147,    155,    164 

Galway,  186,  324 

loop,   189,   195,  328-9 

Bide,     187 

spey  throw,  192,  331-334 

steeple,    186 

"  Suir,"  334 

switch,  191,  330 

wind,  180 

Wye,  181,  290,  335 
Cast  Box,  44 
Casting 

attention  to,   153,   170 

deHcacy  in,   134,   156,   189 

diagrammatically  considered,  161 

double-handed  rod,  with,  Cliapter 
XVII. 

faulty,  28,  167 

force  used  in,  196 

from  the  reel,  114 

knack  of,  167 

lawn,  on  the,  151,  161 

lightness  in,  180 

long  distance,  179 

night,  at,  85 

position  when,   salmon,   317 

position  when,  trout,  152,  154 

principles  of,   salmon  fly,  Chapter 
XVII.,  317 
trout  fly,  137,  14S 

rock,  on  a,  58 

salmon  fly,   Chapter  XVII. 
Galway    cast,    324 
overhead,  317-324 


424 


INDEX 


425 


Casting  {continued) 

single-handed   rod    with,    161 

varying  the  direction  of,  181-183, 
296 

vim,  not  violence,   136,   140 
Casts,    19,    138,   412 

broken,  44 

floating,  19,  138 

name  of  method  of,   140 
Chilland,  Lower,  100 
Cinnamon  fly,  66 
Claret  and  Mallard,  77 
Claret  Smut,   68 
Clinker,   Thos.,   255 
Oloeon  Rufulum,  64 
Close  season,  trout,  104,  106 
Coachman  fly,  71 
Conservators,  Board  of,  107 
Conson  Val,  76 
Control     of    the    muscles,     mental, 

Chapter  XI. 
Coquet,    48 
Cow-dung  fly,  68 
Creels,    30 

Cummins,  Mr.  W.  J.,  60 
Curvature  of  line 
I  wind  cast,  180,  181 

on  water,  199,  200 

I     Dahl,  Dr.,  261,  262 

I      Dam,  natural,  124 

i      Dart,  41,  103 

'      Deveron,  8-48 

'      Diptera,  62-68 

t      Disgorger,  26-43,  419 

and  lancet,  26,   419 
knife,  419 
Dniester,  river,  44 
Domesticated  trout,  98 
Double-handed  rod,  148,  149,  316,  316 

see  salmon  rod, 
Drag,  197-200,  293,  294 
Drowned  fly,   22-33 
Dry  fly.  Chapters  II.  and  III. 
drying  the,  19,  22,  24 
oiling  the,    18-19 
Dry    fly  fishing,   8,    17,    26,    47,    127, 
Chapters  II.   and  III. 
downstream,  193 
Marryatt  on,  7 
odds  on  success,   7 
three  flies,  127 
Dun,  the,  64,  65,  74,  76 
Autumn,  65 
Blue,   61,   65 
Golden,  68 
Iron  Blue,   65 
Olive,   65 
Dyes,  Judson's,  78 


Eden,  48 

Elbow  as  pivot,  188,  213 
EphemeridaB,  14,  62,  77 
Esdaile,  Miss  Fhilippa,  266 
Estuary  of  Severn,  260 

Tay,  262 

Wye,  260 
Expressing  the  food  of  trout,  82,  127 
Extension  of  salmon  line,  320 

trout  line,  156,  157,  168 
Evanger  river,  245 

Fastening  gut,  117-120,  306-307 
Feeding  fish,  21,  75,  84 
Felide,  Norway,  43,  124 
Fellow  fishermen,  83 

due  consideration,  for,    43,  124 
Fidd,  69,  127,  423 
Fighting  fish,  36 
File,  26,  43 
Fisherman's  bag  and  creel,  30 

day,  a,  136 

golden  hours  of  a,  136 

elbow,  117 

fly  net,  13,  411 

knife,  24,  26,  418 

lamp,  132 

necessities,    11,  Appendix 
Fishing, 

Agencies,  423 

beginner,  the,  134 

expert,  the,  134 

days'  coaching.  Chapter  II. 

downstream,  193 

dry  fly.  Chapters  II.  and  III. 

Gazette,  69,  75,  76,  127,  259,  269, 

hints,  133  r423 

hours  for,  80,  83 

loch,    141 

look  behind  when,  140 

methods  of  dry  fly.  Chapter  II. 

methods  of  wet  fly,  290 

moonlight,  84,  85 

night  at,  85 

renting  a,  300 

rise,  the,  15,  31 

run,  the,  44,  45,  291,  292,  293 

salmon  for,  Cliapter  XV. 

spectacles,  415 

stream,  the,  15,  20 

upstream,  6,  11,  26,  183 

wet  and  dry  fly,  5-8,  16,  17 

wet  fly,  5,  16,  17,  109 
advantages  of,  6 
Deveron,   8 
Itchen,  8 
Test,  8 

downstream,  6,  8,  20 
upstream,  6,  20,  109 


4:26 


INDEX 


Flies 

changing  the,  59 

cleansing,  27,  37 

drying,  19,  22,  24 

floating,  Chapter  II. 

grayling,  142-145 

hatching,  14,  71,  79 

natural,  23 

patterns  of,  75-80 

replacing  after  dark,  131 

salmon.  Chapter  XVI. 
hooks  of,  304 
list  of,  303 
size  of,  126 

sinking  the,  14,  296 

trout,  62-80,  125 

what  to  use,  68-71,  302-305 

Wiokham  R.  T.  on,  76-79 

Winton,  Capt.  A.  de.,  on,  348 
Floating  casts,  19 
Fly 

box,  414 

catching  the,  13 

choosing  the,  59,  125 

oiling  the,  18,  19 

Retriever,  46,  417 

rod,    141 

salmon,  the,  302-305 
colour  of,  340 
sinking  tlie,  295 

selecting  the,    125,   340-347 

successful  the,  133-134,  341 

trout,  14,  62-68 

hatch  of  the,  14,  80,  82 
how  to  choose,  Chapter  II, 
sinking  the,  14. 
Fly  books,  306 
Fly  boxes,  70,  414 
Fly  casting  at  night,  86 

Dniester,  on  the,  144 

Vistula,  144 

salmon,  for.  Chapter  XVII. 

trout,  for,  Chapter  X. 

wet,  109 
and  dry,  6 
Fly  fishing   versus  spinning,    Cliapter 

XVIII.,  343 
Fly  retriever,  45,  417 
Food  of  trout,  14,  16,  103 
Force,  application  of,  166,  197 

misapplied,  167 
Forearm,  muscles  of,  212 
Forefinger,  the  use  of,  201,  205,  211 
Forward  cast,  154,  164 
Foster  Bros.,  77 
Foster,  Mr.  David,  76 
Fouling  the  rod,  195 
Francis  Francis,  23,  78,  146 


Frictional  resistance  of  the   wind,  180 
Fungus,  43,  99,  124 

Ga£F,  310 

Gaffing  a  salmon,  310 
Galway,    cast,  salmon,  324,   325  326, 
327 

trout,  186-187 
Gathome-Hardy,  278 

on  the  Add,  278 
Ginger  Quill,  61 
Gordon,  Major  Sir  W.  E.,  94 
Grace  Dr.  W.  G,  3 
Grannom,  66,  80 
Grasshopper,  145 

Grayling   fishing,    142-146,     Plate    V. 
and  Plate  XV. 

flies,  146 
Greasing  the  line,  19,  137 
Grilse,  234,  236,  236 
Gut,  19,  34,  138,  306,  412 

knots  in,  117-121,  305-307 

testing,  138,  139,  310 

Halford,  the  late  Mr.,  30,  66,  210 
Handling  a  trout,  40,  42 
Hand-lining,  62,  53 
Hammond's  Fancy,  79 
Hardy  Bros.,  42,  225 
Harling  for  salmon,  295 
Harpford,  83 
Hasty  judgments,  136 
Hatching  of  the  fly,  14,  80-82 

ova.  Chapter  VI.,  229-230 
Hawthorn  fly,  68 
Hickson,     Professor    S.     J.,     on    the 

shedding  of  salmon  ova,  283 
Hints,  133 
Hooks,  blunted  the,  43 

broken,   43 

salmon,  304 
eyes  of,  306 

triangle,  116 

trout,  71-74 
size,  71-74 
Huchen,  265 

Hughes,  Mr.  Reginald  D.,  157 
Hutton,  Mr.  J.  Arthur,  259,  269,  270, 
272,  275 

Ifafa  river,  89 

Illingworth  reel,  115 

Imago,  14,  65 

International  collection  of  flies,  75 

Irfon,  83 

Itchen,  the,  8,  41,  100,  101 

Lower  Chilland,  100 

Abbas,  100 


INDEX 


427 


Jacobi,  Stephen  Ludwig,  97 
Judsons'  Dyes,  78 

Kelt,    Clmpter   XIV.,    243,    262,    268, 

261,  263,  277 
Knack  of  casting,  167 
Knife,  fisherman's,  24,  26,  43 
Knight,  Mr.  Horace,  64,  66 
Knots,     salmon,     305,     307,      Plates 

XXXIV.,  and  XXXV. 
trout,     26,     117-120,     Diagrams 

4,  6.  6,  7 

Lake  Sicamous,  403 

Superior,  47,  Chapter  XX. 

Vymwy,  27 
Lamboume,  the  48 
Lamp,  fisherman's,  132 
Landing  nets,  25,  27,  37 
LarviB,  16,  64,  66 
Learning  to  cast,  149,  201 
Left-hand  casting,  117,  203,  204 
Life  of  the  salmon.  Chapter  XIII. 
Line,  the 

alive,  179 

backward    extension    of,      166-8, 
320 

curvature  of,  180,  181 

dead,  159,  199 

fouling  the  rod,  164,  196 

greasing  the,  19,  137 

hand-lining,  53 

jerking  the,  167,  199 

keeping  it  clear,  131 

lifting  the,  180 

long,  140 

manipulating  tlie,  50-6 

shooting  the,  50,  51,   196 

slack,  11,  28,  30,  50,  137 

smasliing  on  water,  32 

spinning,  113 

tapered,  220 

taut,  29 

unreeling  the,  138 

winding  up,  11-59 
Little  &  Co.,  116 
Loch  Fishing,  141 
Loch  Loven  trout,  20 
Long-distance  casting,  140 
Loop  cast,  189 

for  the  salmon  rod,  328-9 

for  the  trout  rod,  191-5 
Luck,  141,  345 
Lure,  salmon,  the,  297 

choice  of,  Chapter  XVIII. 

colour  of,  340 

hooks  on,  342 

presenting  the,   297 

selection  of,  340,  345 


Lure,  salmon,  the  {continued) 
size  of,  341 

spinning,  Chapter  XVIII. 
trout,  140 

varying  the,  140 

Magazine,  Salmon  and  Trout,  249,  259 

Magnifying  glass,  13 

Mahseer,  47. 

Malloch    on    spawning    salmon,    270- 

271,  284. 
March  Brown,  71 
Marryatt,  7,  211 
Masterman,  Dr.,  on  the  spawning    of 

salmon,  270,  282 
May  fiy,  22,  23,  60,  64,  74 
Mending  a  rod,  127 
Mental  control  of  the  muscles    when 

learning  to  cctst.  Chapter  XI. 
Menzies,  W.   J.   M,,  on  the  scales    of 

salmon,  275-279 
Milt,  238,  282 

Mind,  the  use  of,  in  casting,  175 
Minnow,  112 

Reflet,  116 
Mint,  wild,  30 
Moths,  128 

"Muscabane,"  384,  397,  404 
Muscles,  control  of  the,  Cliapter  XI. 
wlien  casting,  150,  201-6 

Natural  fly,  23,  63,  79 
Namsen  river,  356,  366 
Naylor,  Mr.  A.  Wellington,  532 
Necessities  of  tlie  fisherman 

casts,  19,  138,  412 

creels,  30 

flies,  71-80,  302-305,  417 

fly  box,  70  414 

net,  61,  69,  125-411 
retriever,  45,  417 

knife,  24,  26,  43,  418 

lamp,  132 

landing  net,  26,  27,  37 

line  greaser,  137 

lines,  113,  220 

net,  61,  69,  126,  411 

reel,  66 

rods.  Chapter  XII., 

spectacles,  416 

spinning  reel,  406 
Net,  fly,  61,  69,  125,  411 

landing,  26,  27,  37 
Netting  the  fish,  26,  27.  37,  40 
New  Zealand 

Agency,  382 
Mr.  Donne,  386 

big  game  of,  379 

brown  trout,  Plate  LV.,  382,  383 


428 


INDEX 


New  Zealand  (continued) 

conservation  of  fishing  in,  390 

emigration,  386 

fish,  380 

fishing  in,  379-91 

Government  of,  the,  384 

High  Commissioner's  Office,  386-7 

Lake  Taupo,  386,  388 

"  Muscabane  "  for,  383,  384 

North  Island,  380-8 

Outfit  for,  381 

records,  trout,  388-390 

rivers 

Buller,  the,  Plate  LIII. 
Tongariro,  389 

Wanganui,    Plate    LIV.,     385, 
386 

Rotorua,  387 

servants,  380-381 

Shipping  Co.,  390 

South  Island,  380-4 

and  tourists,  384 

Tourist  Agency,  384-6 
Non-rising  fish 

salmon,  287 
trout,  49 
Normandy,  47 
Notonectidee,  63 
Nottingham  reel,  18,  113 
Nymph  86,  79,  81,  130 

Oak  fly,  68 

Oil  box,  19 

Oiling  the  fly,  18-19 

Old  Joan,  67 

Olive  Quill,  60,  130 

Otter,  the  Devonshire,  48,  83 

Otters,  128 

Ouananiche,  265 

Ova  of  8almon,269,282-3,Cliapter  XIV. 

Hickson,  Professor  S.  J.  on,  283 
Overhead       cast,      salmon,      317-318 

trout,  148,  152-177. 

Palairet,  3 

Paraffin,  19,  87 

Parr,  the,  231,  282 

Patience  when  salmon  fishing,  308,  309 

Pennell,  H.  Cholmondeley,  304 

Peppin,  George,  83 

Perlidae,  62 

Perseverance,  150,  175,  208,  308,  344 

when  salmon  fishing,  308-9 
Phryganea,  66 

larval  stage,  66 

pupal  stage,  66 
Pisciculture,  97 
Practising  on  a  lawn,  151 

over  water,  165 


Priest,  13,  26 

Pupa,  12,  13,  16,  66,  67,  81 

Quill,  Blue,  13,  15,  31,  37 

Ginger,  61 

Olive,  60,  130 

Red,  25,  31 
Quills,  129 

Rainbow  trout,  379,  383,  388,  395,  404 
Records,  salmon,  348,  350,  351,  352, 

354 
Redds,  salmon,  228 
Red  Quill,  25,  31 

Gnat,  68 
Reel,  Nottingham,  18,  365 

oiling  the,  138 

position  of,    56,    151,    316 

spinning,     Chapter     XIX.,     406, 
Plate  LX.,  Diagram  26 
scientific     consideration    of    its 
usefulness  and  action,  Chapter 
XIX.,  406 

striking  from  the,  33,  34 

using  left  hand,  36,  151,  316 
Refraction,  90,  92 
Rise,  the,  14,  30,  62,  80,  136 

cause  of,  80 

evening,  82,  83 

first,  the,  134,  136 

fishing  the,   15,  31 

moonlight,  84 
Rising  fish,  17,  31 

water,  49 
Rivers 

Add,  275,  277,  278 

Arcque,  83 

Awe,  280 

Axe,  80 

Coquet,  48 

Dart,  41,  103 

Deveron,  48 

Dniester,  144  ' 

Eden,  48  i 

Evanger,  245  ' 

Icelandic,  261  ^ 

Dr.  Dahl,  on,  261  j 

Ifafa,  89  ^ 

Irfon,  83 

Itchen,  8,  41,  101 

Lamboume,  48 

Namsen,  355,  356 

Otter,  48,  83 

Severn,  260 

Sid,  23 

Spey,  24 

Tanat,  143 

Tay,  350 

Test,  8,  83 


INDEX 


429 


Rivers  (continued) 
Touclie,  49 
Vecla,  143 
Vistula,  144 
Warg,  143 
Wutach,  47,  84,  117 
Wye,  Derbyshire,  48,  83 

Monmouthshire,    48,    260,    276, 
277,  347,  348 
Hutton,  J.  Arthur,  on,  349 
De  Winton,  Capt.  Arthur,  on, 

348 
records  on,  348 
Rockies,  49 
Rod 

action  of  a,  215,  217,  315 
application  of  force  to,  166 
broken,  128 

dropping  point  of,  28,  36 
dry  fly,  Cliapter  XII. 
virtues  of,  224 
elasticity  of,  172,  217 
fouling  with  line,  164,  197 
"  Fred.  G.  Shaw,"  42,  225 
length  of,  218,  225 
perfect,  the,   139  ^ 

pivot  of  the  salmon,  148 

trout,  148,  163 
pliancy,  220 
power  of,  220 
refractory  joint  of,  313 
rests  for,   11 
salmon,  the,  316 
selecting,  222 
socket,  139 

loosening,  313 
spinning,  how  to  use  it,  365-368. 

373-378 
stiffness,  218,  220 
testing,  215-216 
tops,  139 

Tournament,  221,  224 
treatment  of,  220-222,  239 
trout,  139 
weight,  of,  218 
whippiness,  218 
whipping,  42,  129 
Rods,  American,  223,  224 

makes  and  makers,  223-224 
Run,  the,  293 


Sag,  the,  179,  293,  294 

Salmon 

aggressiveness  of,  240,  241 
alevin,     Chapter     XIII.,      Plate 

XXVII.  229,  231 
captivity  in,  267 


Salmon  (contimied) 
casts,  309,  310 

knots  in,  305,  306,  307 
testing,  309 
clean,  313 

coup-de-grdce,  the,  312 
discoloured,  258 
eggs,  228,  229 
entering  fresh  pools,  239 
estuary,  260 

feeding.  Chapter  XVIIL,  239,  242, 
248,  288,  289 
in  fresh  water,  242-248 
fifty- pound,  a,  229,  311 
flies,  Cliapter  XVI.,  302-304 
choice  of.  Chapter  XVIII. 
colour  of,  340 
hooks  of,  304 
list  of,  303 
size  of,  341 
fly,  the,  Cliapters  XVI.  and  XVIII. 
sinking  the,  295 
working  the,  309 
casting  the,  Cliapter  XVII.,  311, 
312,  317 
methods  of,  curved  casts,  237 
Galway,  324 
overhead,    right,   317,   31  * 

left,  322 
loop,  329-330 
Spey  throw,  331 
Suir  river,  334 
switch,  330 
Wye,  290-293,  335 
versus       the      spinning       lure, 
Chapter  XVIII. 
food  of  the,  231 

rejection  of,  239 
fresh  run,  258 
fry,  Plate  XXVII.,  230 
gastric  juices  of,  245,  247 
grilse,  235 
injured,  235,  236 
instincts  of.  Chapter  XIII.,  226» 

227    281    286 
kelts.  Chapter  XIV.,  252,  258,  261,. 

263 
knots,  for  lines,  305,  306,  307 
life  of.  Chapter  XIII.,  228 
lures,  choice  of,  345 

presenting  the,   297 
milt,  238,  282 
non-rising,  287,  288 
ova,  of,  228,  229,  269,  282 
parr,  231,  280,  Plate  XXVII. 

physiological  changes  of,    256- 
playing  a,  298,  310,  311 
redds,  226,  228 
rising,  289,  297 


430 


INDEX 


Salmon  {continued) 

rods,  316 

how    to    hold    a,    316,    Plates 
XXXVI.,  XXXVII. 

running,  311 

scales,     of.     Chapter    XIV.,     see 
"  Scales  " 

smolt,  232,  234 

spawning,  237,  Chapter  XIV.,  264 
remarks  on,  282-286 

sustenance,  241 

sulking,  310 

theories  as  to,  241,  242 
general  remarks,  282-286 
Salmon  fishing,  Chapter  XV. 

axioms  as  to,  308-313 

different     casts     when.     Chapter 
XVII. 

gaflfing,  299,  310 

barling,  295 

hints  on,  Cliapter  XVI. 

how  to  fish  out  a  cast,  290 

methods  of,  Chapter  XV.,  290 

non-rising  fish,  when,  287 

perseverance,  when,  308 

playing,  299 

records  of,  348,  350,  351-4 

renting  a,  300 

rise  when,  297 

sagging  line  when,  294,  310 

sinking  the  fly  when,  295 

stoning  a  pool,  288 

striking,  298 
Salmon  rivers, 

rights  of,  300 
Sand  fly,  66 

Scales  of  salmon  and  trout.  Chapter 
XIV. 

Calderwood,  W.  L.,  on,  257 

decrepitation    of.    Chapter    XIV. 
256,  257,  259,  272 

discussion  on,  Cliapter  XIV. 
synopsis  of,  281-286 

Esdaile,  Miss  P.,  on,  266 

examination  of,  274 

Button,  J.  Arthur,  on,  259,  272,275 

influences  of  salt  and  fresh  water 
on,  265 

Malloch,  P.  D.,  on,  270,  284 

marking  on,  255,  271 

rings,  271 

River  Add,  275 

Menzies,  W.  J.  M.,  on,  275-277 

structure,  chemical,  of,  267 

trout,  254 
Scaring  trout,  11,  14,  93. 
"  Scientific  Angler,"  77 
Scissors,  24,  see  Knife,  419 
Scottish  Field.  423 


Screw  driver,  see  knife,  419 
Sedge,  85 

Orange,  66 
Silver,  66 
Senses  of  trout.  Chapter  V.,  87-96 
Shakespeare,   213 
Shaw,  John,  97 
Sheringham,  H.  T.,  90,  281 
Shooting  the  line,  60,  51,  196 
Sialidse,  62 
Side-cast,  salmon,  233 

trout,  187 
Sight  of  trout,  12,  88 
Skues,  Mr.,  8 
Slack  line,  11,  28,  30,  50 
Smolts,  233,  234 
Snatching,  167 
Spawning,  237,  Chapter  XIV.  264 

artificial.    Chapter    XIV.,    264, 

266,  267 
captivity  in,  267 
marks.  Chapter  XIV. 

Hutton,  J.  Arthur,  on,  269 
Malloch,  P.  D.,  on,  270,  284 
Masterman,  Dr.,  on,  270 
repetition    of.    Chapter    XIV., 
275-278 
natural,  264,  268 
trout,  105,  122 

appearance  of,  106 
close  season  for,  105 
conditions  affecting,  106 
early,  105 
feeding  when,  105 
late,  105 

weather  affecting,  106 
wild  fish,  105,  106 
Spear,  18 

Spey  Throw,  192-195,  331-334 
Spider-fly,  68 
Spinner,  65,  74,  77 
Jenny,  65 
Red,  65,  77 
Spinning 

the  art  of,  Cliapter  XIX.,  373-378 
for  salmon.  Chapter  XVIH.  312 

trout,  112-117 
lure  versus  salmon  fly.    Chapter 
XVIII. ,  344 
advantages  of,  344 
consideration  of,  358,  360-365 
reel,   369,   312,    406,    Plate    LX., 
Diagrams  26  and  27 
action  of,  359,  360,  361,  362 
automatic  starting  of,  360 
duties  of,  359,  360 
inertia  of,  360 
rotatory  motion  of,  360 
rod,  366-368,  373-378 


INDEX 


431 


Splicing  a  rod,  129,  Plate  XXXIV. 
Stiff  wrist,  206 
Steeple  cast,  186 
Stone  fly,  23,  67,  85 

Ldvingstone,  98 
Stoning  a  salmon  pool,  288 
Stream,  fishing  the,  16,  20 
Strike,  the,  22,  23 
Striking  a  salmon,  298 

trout,  22,  33,  110 
from  reel,  33,  34 
Success   in   fishing,   1-4,  133-134,  176, 

209,  308,  344 
Sub-Imago,  12,  14,  48,  63,  64 
Suir  river  cast,  334-336 
Switch  cast,  191,  330 

Tanat,  143 

Taut  line,  136 

Temperature,  82,  103,  106 

Test,  8,  83 

Testing  a  rod,  214 

Thumb    in    the   forward    oast,     202, 

206,  211 
Tliyme,  wild,  30 
Torres  Straits,  96 
Touche,  49 

Tournaments,  221,  224 
Triangle  hooks,  116. 
Tricoptera,  62-66 
Trout 

appearance  of,  122 

axioms,  134-138 

breeding,  98 

bulging,  82,   130 

casting  to  a,  137 

close  season,  104-106 

colour,  122 

distinction,  122 

domesticated,  98 

enticing  to  rise,  20 

farms,  97-100 

fighting  a,  36 

flies,  71,  125 

fly-fishing,  dry,  14,   15,  35,   36,  48 
wet,  5,  14,  35,  36,  48 
upstream,  6,   11,  183 

food  of,  16,  99 

growth,  103 

handling,  40-42 

hand-lining  a,  52-63 

hearing  of,  88 

hook,  137 

jumping,  37 

killing,  26,  134 

knots  for  trout  lines,  25,  117-120 

Loch  Leven,  20 

missing,  21 

netting  a,  25,  27,  136,  137 


Trout  {continued) 

non-rising,  49 

playing  a,  25 

position  of,  20 

putting  down,  19-32  • 

rising  short,  21 

scaring,  11-14,  19-21,  32,  93 

season,  106-108 

senses  of ,  87 

sex,  in,  122 

spawning,  105 

spinning  for,  112 

takable,  41 

times  to  fish,  80-83 

undersized,  40-41 

vision  of,  12,  88 
Trouville,  49 

Undersized  fish,  40-41 
Upstream   fishing,    6,  7,   11,  110,  111, 
143 

Vadheim,  47 
Val  Conson,  75 
Vancouver  Island,  48 
Vecla,  143 
Vim,  140 
Violence,  136,  140 
Vision  of  trout,  12,  88 
Vistula,   144 
Vymwy  Lake,  27 

Wading,  95,  109,  312 

Walton,  Izaak,  139 

Warg,  143 

Water,  practising  over,  165 

Waterhouse,  Mr.  Charles  A.,  63 

Water  insects,  62 

Diptera,  63 

Ephemeridse,  62 

NotonectidaB,  63 

Perlidae,  63,  67 

Sialidae,  63,  67 

Trichoptera,  62,  65 
Water  shrimps,  16 
Weeds,  26,  28,  30,  36,  64,  66,  121,  136 

as  dams,  23,  123,  144,  Plate  XII. 

breeding-places,    123 

shelter,  54,  65,  123 
Welshman's  Button,  66,  80 
Wet  fly  fishing,  12,  14,  16,  109,  184 

arrangement  of  flies,  111 

downstream,  49,  111 

striking,    110 

upstream,  109 
Wickham,  Dr.  Chas.,  77 
Wickham,  R.  T.,  76 
Wickham's  Fancy,  77 
Wind  cast,  180 


432 


INDEX 


Wind,  casting  against,  180 

frictional  resistance,  180 
Winton,  Capt.,  Arthiir  de,  348 
Worms,  16,  106 
Wrist  and  arm-action,  170 
Wrist,  rigid,  170,  171,   180,   188,  202, 

206 
Wutach,  47,  83,  117 
Wye  Board  of  Conservators,  347 
cast,  181,  290,  335 

the  use  of,  181,  290,  335 
variation  of,  183 
river,  Derbyshire,  48,  83 


Wye  Board  of  Conservators  (cont.) 

Welsh,  48,  260,   261,  276,  27" 
346,  347  348, 
Hutton,  J.  Arthur,  on,  349 
Winton,  Capt.  Artliur,  de,  or^ 

348 
records  on,  348 
Salmon,  1913,  348 
Wyers  Fr^res,  116 

Yellow  Sally,  67 
Yolk  Sac,  salmon,  230 

trout,  100 
Young,  Rev,  Hamilton,  8 


COMETS  AND  THEIR  TAILS 


AND 


The   Gegenschein    Light. 

By    FRED.    G.    SHAW,    F.G.S., 

Assoc.M.Inst.C.E.,  etc. 


Opinions  of  the  Press. 

London  Quarterly  Review. — "  Mr.  Shaw's  ingenious  theory  cannot  fail  to 
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and  cautious  in  its  tone." 

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carefully-prepared  plates." 

Dublin  Irish  Times. — "  With  full  command  of  the  most  advanced  astro- 
nomical learning,  Mr.  Frederick  G.  Shaw,  F.G.S.,  a  traveller  of  wide 
experience  and  a  deep  scientific  thinker,  now  advances  a  novel  theory  as 
to  cometic  tails,  and  as  to  that  mysterious  light  commonly  known  as  the 
Gegenschein.  Singularly  interesting  study  ...  it  will,  there  can  be  no 
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readers." 


I 


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FISCAL  FACTS  &  FICTIONS 

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countrv  than  does  the  volume  before  us.     .     .     .     An  admirable  work." 


Price  5s.  net. 


To  be  obtained  from  the  Author,  ii,  Neville  Court,  Abbey  Road,  N.W. 

V. 


The  School  lor  Salmon  and  Trout  Fly  Casting. 


Established   1906 

BY 

FRED.  G.  SHAW,  F.G.S., 

AT 

5,   Marlborough   Road, 
St.  John's  Wood. 


Mr.  Shaw  has  perfected  the  fly 
casting  of  over  2,000  clients  during  the 
last  eight  years,  including  a  great  number 
of  Ladies,  Officers  in  His  MaJesty^s  Naval 
and  Military  Forces,  School  Boys,  and 
well-known  public  men. 


Mr.  R.  B.  Marston,  in  the  Fishing  Gazette,   1907,  said  : 

"     .      .      .      Mr.  Shaw  has  shown  mc  letters  from  anglers  who  have  had  lessons  from 
him,  speaking  in  the  highest  terms  of  his  skill  as  a  rapid  teacher." 

Country   Gentleman,    1908  : 

' '  No  better  teacher  than  Mr.  Shaw  could  be  wished  for. ' ' 

Morning    Post,    December    30th,    1907  : 

"  In  Mr.  Shaw,  than  whom  there  are  few  more  business-like  exponents  of  the  art 
and  practice  of  fly  fishing  for  trout  or  salmon,  we  have  an  example  of  the  man  of  action 
and  man  of  thought  in  one.     Of  his  ability  to  teach  the  beginner  and  improve  even  the 

veteran  amateur  no  one  will  have  any  doubt  who  has  seen  him  cast He 

has  all  the  practice    of  fly  fishing  at  his   fingers'    ends,   and  he  has   also  a  wholly 
practical  way  of  imparting  his  knowledge  to  others." 

Daily    Express  : 

"  One  of  the  greatest  living  masters  of  the  art," 

Extract    from   The    Angler  : 

"  But  life  is  too  short  tO'day,  work  is  too  strenuous,  and  the  world  moves  too 
quickly  to  permit  one  to  devote  years  to  an  art  which  Mr.  Shaw  demonstrates — and 
demonstrates  brilliantly — can  be  mastered  in  a  few  hours." 

Scottish    Field  : 

"  Mr.  Shaw  was  the  Amateur  Champion  of  trout  fly  casting  from  1904' 1908,  and 
the  things  he  cannot  do  and  cannot  teach  others  to  do  with  a  rod  and  line  and  fly  are 
not  included  in  the  Angler's  art.  Alike  on  the  casting  lawn  at  his  own  address,  and  by 
the  waterside  in  actual  pursuit  of  the  gentle  art,  he  gives  those  who  entrust  themselves 
to  his  teaching  more  knowledge  and  skill  in  an  hour  or  two's  instruction  than  many 
would-be  fishers  acquire  in  the  course  of  a  long  life." 


THE    CASTING    WATER. 


The  School  lor  Salmon  and  Trout  Fly  Casting. 


A  few  extracts  from  innumerable  testimonials  sent  to  Mr.  Shaw. 


From   a   Well-known  Traveller. 


Windham    Club, 

July  2gth,  i(.)o6 


I  found  I  could  get  my  fly  to   places  and  under  difficulties  which 

would  have  been  impossible  for  me  before  you  took  me  in  hand Your 

instructions  were  so  clear  and  explained  so  admirably  that  I  should  have  been  a 
duffer  indeed  had  I  not  vastly  improved. 

Thanking  you  for  the  trouble  and  patience  you  bestowed  on  me  during  my  two 
lessons. 


From  the  Most  Hon.  The  Marouis  of 


An  1^1 1 st  ist,  n)0/. 


I  cannot  thank  you  too  much  for  all  the  trouble  you  took  with  me  ; 

you  have  certainly  increased  my  pleasure  ten-fold 

From  the  Hon.  George   P .  -^""^  -'-'«^,  '90S. 

Allow  me  to  express  my  sense  of  your  admirable  capacities  as  a  teacher,  and  of 
the  remarkable  speed  with  which  you  can  instil  the  principles  of  the  art  of  which  you 
are  a  master 

I  have  read  your  book  on  Fly  Fishing  with  great  pleasure  and  profit. 


From  a  Member  of  the  Diplomatic  Service. 


February  6th,  igi2. 


I  have  derived  the  greatest  benefit  from  the  lessons  I  took  from  you  in  casting 
salmon  and  trout  fly,  and  have  learnt  it  in  a  way  that  I  shall  never  forget.      Indeed, 
am  most  grateful  to  you  for  the  pains  you  took  over  me,  the  result  of  which  has  made 
fishing  a  life-long  pleasure  to  me. 

From  a  Celebrated  Author  and  Playwright.  February  24th,  igi2. 

Our  kind  greetings  to  you 

If  you  care  to  refer  anyone  to  me  I  shall  be  delighted  to  write  to  them  my  opinion 
of  your  teaching.  It  is  a  very  high  opinion.  How  do  you  think  Michael  did  last 
season  ?  He  had  never  once  fished  with  fly  before  your  lessons,  and  the  second 
time  thereafter  he  caught  two  sea'trout  (one  21  lb.).  Altogether  he  caught  last 
season  over  100  sea'trout  and  one  salmon.  If  you  never  knew  what  a  good  teacher 
you  are  you  know  it  now.  He  is  only  eleven.  We  used  to  drink  your  health,  and  he 
gave  imitations  of  you  (superb). 

Yours  sincerely. 


THE   CASTING   LAWN. 


The  School  for  Salmon  and  Trout  Fly  Casting 


The  above  extensive  and  exclusively  private  coaching  ground  is 

situated  \A/ithin  one  minute's  \A/alk  of  Marlborough  Road  Station, 

close  to  Lord's  Cricket  Ground,  and  about  ten  minutes  by  taxi 

from  Piccadilly  Circus. 


From  a  Well-known  Singer.  March  14.01,  igu. 

I  never  had  a  blank  day  the  whole  time  I  was  there— my  average  was  eight 
fish  a  day,  averaging  between  4  lb.  to  1  \  lb. 

1  must  say  that  I  chiefly  owed  my  success  to  your  excellent  tuition — I  put  into 
practice  the  various  casts  you  taught  me,  and  1  was  able  to  cast  and  fish  in  different 
places  where  I  should  never  have  dreamed  of  attempting  to  cast  had  1  not  had  lessons 
from  you.      It  was  invariably  in  the  awkward  places  that  1  got  my  best  fish. 

You  have  a  wonderful  gift  of  not  only  making  your  pupils  understand  exactly 
what  yon  want  them  to  do  hut  of  making  them  do  it !  It  is  no  exaggeration  to  say 
that  in  the  few  lessons  I  had  with  you,  you  improved  my  casting  75  %,  and  you  made 
me  do  things  that  I  thought  were  practically  impossible.  Please  accept  my  sincere 
thanks  for  all  the  trouble  you  took  on  my  behalf.      With  kind  regards. 

Sincerely  yours, 

From   a   Distinguished  Soldier.  -^""^  ^5^^'.  ^913- 

Your  lessons  have  taught  me  a  great  deal.  Your  own  mastery  of  the  rod  and 
line  is  wonderful,  and  no  one  could  be  a  better  or  more  painstaking  teacher.  My  wife 
joins  me  in  thanking  you  sincerely. 


From  a   Lady  Client. 


March  nth,  igi^.. 


1  am  greatly  indebted  to  you  for  all  the  trouble  you  have  taken   with   me,    and 
for  your  kindness  and  patience. 


For  Terms,  Original  Testimonials  and  Particulars  of  this  School  apply  to 
FRED.  G.  SHAW,  U,  Neville  Court,  Abbey  Road,  London,  N.W. 


14  DAY  USE 

RJiTURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LOAN  DEPT. 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 

on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 

Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 

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